School of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

THERMODYNAMICS & FLUID MECHANICS I (MM1TF1)

EXERCISE SHEET 2
Hydrostatic forces on horizontal and vertical plane surfaces

2.1 A thin plate in the shape of a trapezium of top edge 15 m, bottom edge
20 m and height 10 m is suspended horizontally in sea water of density
1025 kg/m3 at a depth of 4m (ie the entire face of the trapezium is 4m below
the surface of the water and parallel to it). What is the hydrostatic force due
to the gauge pressure on the upper face of plate and its line of action.
1
2

(a + b )c

a
c

(helpful info: The area of a trapezium is

b
2/3

1/3

The centroid(centre of area) of a triangle

is 1/3 of the way along a line joining the vertex to the base.
You can find the centroid of the trapezium by thinking of it as
a rectangle and two triangles)

[ 7.04 MN, vertical, 4.76m from 20m edge]

2.2 A open topped rectangular tank is completely filled with oil of Relative
Density (density relative to water, and also known as Specific Gravity) 0.87.
The tank is 6 m long, 4 m wide and 4 m high. Calculate:
(i) the net force on the base of the tank;
(ii) the net force on one of the square end panels;
(iii) the line of action of the force on the square end panels.
[ 819 kN, 273 kN, 2.67 m below the surface.]

2.3 A vertical, rectangular gate in the side of a lock is 1m high and 2 m wide.
The gate is hinged along its top edge and the depth of water to the base of
the gate is 3 m. Calculate:
a) the net hydrostatic force exerted on the
gate (due to pressure);
b) the line of action of that force;
c) the moment of that force about the hinge.
[ a) 49.05 kN; b) 2.53 m below water surface; c) 26.16 kN m]

University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus

2.4 A vat filled with oil of specific gravity 0.87 is 6 m long and 4 m deep and
has a trapezoidal cross-section 3 m wide at the bottom and 5 m wide at the
top. Compute:
a) the weight of oil in the vat,
b) the force on the vat bottom due to gauge pressure, and
c) the force on the trapezoidal end panel due to gauge pressure
[ a) 819.3 kN b) 614.5 kN c) 250.4 kN]

2.5
A vertical gate in a reservoir wall has the form of an isosceles triangle,
as indicated. The upper edge of the gate is horizontal, 3 m wide and lies 3 m
below the water surface. The gate is hinged about a horizontal axis at a
distance x from the top of the gate. The gate is prevented from rotating in
one direction by a stop. It is required that the gate is on the point of opening
automatically when the water is 5 m deep. Neglecting friction at the hinge,
find x. (Hint: think about where the hinge would need to be with respect to
the resultant force for the gate to open.)

wall
Water surface

3m

Front view
of gate
1.5 m

1.5 m

5m

gate
x

hinge
stop

Figure Q2.5
[ 8/11 m (0.727 m)]

2.6 A tank with vertical sides contains water to a depth of 1.5 m and a layer
of oil 0.6 m resting on top of the water. In one vertical side of the tank a
rectangular hole of width 0.8 m and extending the full height of the tank has
been covered exactly by a flat plate to prevent leakage. The relative density
of the oil is 0.9 and the air above the oil and surrounding the outside of the
tank is at atmospheric pressure. Calculate the net hydrostatic thrust on the
plate and the distance of the line of action of the thrust above the base of the
tank.
(Hint: When considering the water, remember the pressure at the top is not
atmospheric. Therefore the pressure in the water is not simply gh)
[ 16.457 kN, 0.69 m]

University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus