Metacentric Height Apparatus

1 INTRODUCTION:

The Stability of a Floating Body is able to provide the solution for the question of the
stability of a body, such as a ship, which floats on the surface of a liquid, is one of
obvious importance. Whether the equilibrium is stable, neutral or unstable is determined
by the height of its gravity, and in this experiment, the stability of a pontoon may be
determined with its center of gravity at various heights. A comparison with calculated
stability may also be made.

EES-1849-03 1
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

2 GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

2.1 Unit Assembly:

The arrangement of the apparatus is shown in Figure. A pontoon of rectangular

form floats in water and carries a plastic sail, with five rows of V-slots at
equispaced heights on the sail. The slots centers are spaced at 7.5mm intervals,
equally disposed about the sail centerline. An adjustable weight, consisting of two
machined cylinders which can be screwed together, fits into the V-slots on the sail
this can be used to change the height of the center of gravity and the angle of tilt
of the pontoon. A degree indicator is fitted at the front of the pontoon and is used
in conjunction with the scale to measure the angle of tilt.

3
5

1. Sail 2. Sliding Weight

3. Pontoon 4. Plum Bob hook
5. degree indicator 6. Water tank

EES-1849-03 2
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

3 SUMMARY OF THEORY:

(a) (b) (c)

Fig. 2 Derivation of Stability of Floating Pontoon

Consider the rectangular pontoon shown floating in equilibrium on an even keel, as

shown in the cross-section of Figure 2(a). The weight of the floating body acts vertically
downwards through its center of gravity G and this is balanced by an equal and opposite
buoyancy force acting upwards through the center of buoyancy B, which lies at the center
of gravity of the liquid displace by the pontoon.

To investigate the stability of the system, consider a small angular displacement δθ from
the equilibrium position as shown in Figure 2(b). The center of gravity of the liquid
displaced by the pontoon shifts from B to B 1.The vertical line of action of the buoyant
force is shown on the figure and intersects the extension of line BG at M, the metacenter.

The equal and opposite forces through G and B 1 exert a couple on the pontoon, and
provided that M lies above G (as shown in Figure 2(b)) this couple acts in the sense of
restoring the pontoon to even keel, i.e. the pontoon is stable. If, however, the metacenter
M lies below the center of gravity G, the sense of the couple is to increase the angular
displacement and the pontoon is unstable. The special case of neutral stability occurs
when M and G coincide.

Figure 2(b) shows clearly how the metacentric height GM may be established
experimentally using the adjustable weight of mass (ω) to displace the center of gravity
sideways from G. Suppose the adjustable weight is moved a distance δx from its central
position. If the weight of the whole floating assembly is W, then the Corresponding
movement of the center of gravity of the whole in a direction parallel to the base of the

pontoon is δx1. If this movement produces a new equilibrium position at an angle of
W
list δθ, then in Figure 2(b), G1 is the new position of the center of gravity of the whole,
i.e.

EES-1849-03 3
 Metacentric Height Apparatus


GG1   x1 (1)
W

Now, from the geometry of the figure:

GG1 = GM (δθ) (2)

Eliminating GG1 between these equations we derive:

   x1 
GM    (3)
W   
Or in the limit:

  dx1 
GM    (4)
W  d 

 dx 
The metacentric height may thus be determined by measuring  1  knowing ω and W.
 d 
Quite apart from experimental determinations, BM may be calculated from the
mensuration of the pontoon and the volume of liquid which it displaces. Referring again
to Figure 2(b), it may be noted that the restoring moment about B, due to shift of the
center of buoyancy to B1, is produced by additional buoyancy represented by triangle
AA1C to one side of the centerline, and reduced buoyancy represented by triangle FF1C to
the other. The element shaded in Figure 2(b) and (c) has an area δs in plan view and a
height xδθ in the vertical section so that its volume is xδsδθ. The weight of the liquid
displaced by this element is wxδsδθ, where w is the specific weight of the liquid, and this
is the additional buoyancy due to the element. The moment of this elementary buoyancy
force about B is wx2δsδθ so that the total restoring moment about B is given by the
expression:

wδθ∫x2ds

Where the integral extends over the whole area s of the pontoon at the plane of the water
surface, the integral may be referred to as I, where:

I = ∫x2ds (5)

The second moment of area of s about the axis XX.

The total restoring moment about B may also be written as the total buoyancy force, wV,
in which V is the volume of liquid displaced by the pontoon, multiplied by the lever arm
BB1. Equating this product to the expression for total restoring moment derived above:

EES-1849-03 4
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

wV ∙ BB1 = wδθ∫x2ds

Substituting from Equation 5 for the integral and using the expression:

BB1 = BM ∙ δθ (6)

Which follows from the geometry of Figure 2(b), leads to,

I
BM  (7)
V

This result, which depends only on the mensuration of the pontoon and the volume of
liquid which it displaces will be used to check the accuracy of the experiment. It applies
to a floating body of any shape, provided that I is taken about an axis through the centroid
of the area of the body at the plane of the water surface, the axis being perpendicular to
the place in which angular displacement takes place. For a rectangular pontoon, B lies at
a depth below the water surface equal to half the total depth of immersion, and I may
readily be evaluated in terms of the dimensions of the pontoon as:
D /2
1
I   x 2 ds   x 2 Ldx  LD3 (8)
 D /2
12

EES-1849-03 5
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

4 EXPERIMENT:

4.1 Objective:

To determine the stability of a floating body.

4.2 Procedure:

The height of the center of gravity may be found as follows (refer to Figure 3):

1. Fit the thick knotted cord, with the plumb weight, through the hole in the sail,
ensuring that the plumb weight is free to hang down on the side of the sail
which has the scored centerline.

2. Clamp the sliding weight into the V-slot on the centerline of the lowest row
and suspend the pontoon from the free end of the thick cord. Mark the point
where the plumb line crosses the sail center line with typists correcting fluid
or a similar marking fluid.

3. Repeat with the sliding weight situated in the center of one of the rows, allow
the pontoon to float in water.

Fig. 3 Method of finding the center of gravity

EES-1849-03 6
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

Fig.
4

Standard dimensions of pontoon

Observations:

EES-1849-03 7
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

Total weight of floating assembly (W) = 1.85 kg

Adjustable weight (ω) = 0.525 kg

Breadth of pontoon (D) = 203 mm

Length of pontoon (L) = 360 mm

Weight
Distance
Vol. Vol. Of Water
from Tilt Weight Of Weight
Water Water Before
centre Angle Water after of
Sr Tank Tank Floating GM
to (Ø) floating body Floating
No Before After Body in (mm)
applied degre in Water Tank Body W
Ship V1 Ship V2 Water
load X e W2 (kg) (kg)
(inch3) (inch3) Tank W1
(mm)
(kg)
1473.69
1 16 5 1618.176 24.1391 26.5057 2.366 166.637
6
1473.69
2 24 7 1618.176 24.1391 26.5057 2.366 178.103
6
1473.69
3 32 9 1618.176 24.1391 26.5057 2.366 184.095
6

Table 1 Derivation of metacentric height from experimental results

EES-1849-03 8
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

Calculation:

Water Tank Dimensions before Ship immersion

L =1 7.2 inch W = 16.8 inch H1 = 5.1 inch
Weight of Water before Floating Body in Water Tank W1 = L ×W× H1
=17.2×16.8 ×5.1
=1473.69 inch3
=1473.69 × 0.01638 Kg
=24.1391 Kg

Water Tank Dimensions after Ship immersion

L= 17.2 inch W=16.8 inch H2 = 5.6 inch
Weight Of Water after floating body in Water Tank W2 = L×W×H2
=17.2×16.8 ×5.6
=1618.176 inch3
=1618.176 × 0.01638 Kg
=26.5057 Kg

Weight of Floating Body W = W2 - W1

= 26.5057 - 24.1391
= 2.3665 Kg

GM = W1× X/(W1+W)×tanØ

GM = 24.1391×16 /(24.1391+2.3665)×tan(5o)
GM = 166.6370 mm

EES-1849-03 9
 Metacentric Height Apparatus

5 MAINTENANCE

Installation Instructions:

Fit the sail into its housing on the pontoon and tighten the clamp screws. Check that the
plumb bob hangs vertically downwards on its cord and is free to swing across the lower
scale.

Routine Care Maintenance:

After use, the water in the tank should be poured away and the pontoon and tank wiped
dry with a lint-free cloth. The pontoon should never be left permanently floating in the
water.

EES-1849-03 10