Forces and moments

Forces :
A force can be defined as any push or pull exerted on a body.

The unit of force is the Newton

The resultant force

When two or more forces are acting on a body, their
combined effect can be represented by one force which
will have the same effect as the component forces.

Such a force is referred to as the ‘resultant force’.

The process of finding it is called the ‘resolution of the

component forces’.
(a) Resolving two forces which (b) Resolving two forces which
act in the same straight line do not act in the same
straight line
 Moments of forces
Moment – is the quantity obtained by multiplying the force,
speed, or mass by the distance from the point of application or
center of gravity to the axis.
• The moment of a force is a measure of the turning effect of
the force about a point.
-
 Weight & Mass
Mass is the fundamental measure of the quantity of
matter in a body and is expressed in KG and TON

Weight is the force exerted on a body by the Earth’s

gravitational force and is measured in Newton (N) and
kilo – Newton (KN)
 Centroids
The centroid of an area is situated at its geometrical
centre. In each of the following figures ‘G’ represents the
centroid, and if each area was suspended from this point it
would balance.
 Center of gravity
The centre of gravity of a body is:
•The point at which all the mass of the body may be
assumed to be concentrated.

•The point through which the force of gravity is

considered to act vertically downwards, with a force
equal to the weight of the body.

•The point about which the body would balance.

The centre of gravity of a homogeneous body is at its

geometrical centre.
 Abbreviation of Terms

C L

K = Keel
M
B = Center of Buoyancy
G G = Center of Gravity

W L
M = Metacenter
K M = Height of the Metacenter
above the Keel
B
K B = Height of C of B above the Keel
KG = Height of C of G above the Keel
K GM = Metacentric Height
BM = Metacentric Radius
 Inclined Vessel
Heel is caused by external forces ( outside the vessel )
a) wind
b) waves
List is caused by internal forces ( inside the vessel )
a) loading and/or discharging away from the center line
b) moving weights transversely

HEEL LIST

M M

G Z G

G¹

B1 B¹
B B
 HEEL

Z G

M G
Stability and
Equilibrium G Z

B¹
B

Stable Neutral Unstable

G is below M G coincides with M G is above M

KG is less than KM KG is equal to KM KG is greater than KM
GM is positive GM is zero GM is negative

Positive Negative
 Comparison Between Tender and Stiff Vessels

HEEL

G Z

TENDER STIFF
- High C of G - Low C of G
G Z
- Small GZ B¹ - Large GZ
B
- Small Righting Moment - Large Righting
- Slow Rolling Moment
- Fast Rolling
- Large Rolling Period - Short Rolling Period
- Small Amplitude of Roll - Large Amplitude of Roll
- Small GM - Large GM
- Poor Stability - Excessive Stability
 Lowering C of G
HEEL

1) GM increases
M
2) GZ increases
3) Rolling period decreases
G Z

G¹ Z¹

B
B¹ How to lower C of G
1) Load below the C of G
2) Pump in double bottom tanks
3) Discharge from above the C of G
4) Discharge topside tanks
5) Shift weights from the main deck to the lower hold
6) Press up slack tanks (removes free surface)
 Raising C of G

HEEL 1) GM decreases
2) GZ decreases
M 3) Rolling period increases

G¹ Z¹

G Z
How to raise C of G
1) Discharge from below the C of G
B¹
B 2) Pump out double bottom tanks
3) Load above the C of G
4) Pump in topside tanks
 1) Loading - towards the loaded weight
Shift of G 2) Discharging - away from the discharged weight
3) Shifting - parallel to the shifted weight

Loading Discharging

M• M•
Load Discharge

G • G •

Load Discharge

•K •
K
Application to a ship shifting weights
Application to a ship shifting weights
Conclusions
1. The centre of gravity of a body will move directly towards the
centre of gravity of any weight added.

2. The centre of gravity of a body will move directly away from the
centre of gravity of any weight removed.

3. The centre of gravity of a body will move parallel to the shift of the
centre of gravity of any weight moved within the body.

4. No matter where the weight ‘w’ was initially in the ship relative to
G, when this weight is moved downwards in the ship, then the
ship’s overall G will also be moved downwards to a lower position.
Consequently, the ship’s stability will be improved.
5. No matter where the weight ‘w’ was initially in the ship relative to

G, when this weight is moved upwards in the ship, then the

ship’s overall G will also be moved upwards to a higher position.
Consequently, the ship’s stability will be decreased.

6. The shift of the centre of gravity of the body in each case is

given by the formula: where
w is the mass of the weight added, removed or shifted,
W is the final mass of the body, and
d is, in 1 and 2, the distance between the centres of gravity, and
in 3,the distance through which the weight is shifted.

7. When a weight is suspended its centre of gravity is

considered to be at the point of suspension.
Consider a homo. Block of wood, its center of
gravity will be its geometrical center,
•half way of its length,
•half way of its breadth, and
•half way of its depth
Place a wedge under its C.G, the block will balance

W
Effect of removing or discharging mass

W
w
d
Moment = w x d
G

G1 G And also moment = (W- w) x GG1

W- w
w x d =( W –w) x GG1
3. A weight is to be loaded to a ship of 5,000 tons displacement.
The cargo is 500 tons at a distance of 15m from the original
position of gravity. Find the shift of G.