National Institute of Technology Silchar

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Subject: Fluid Mechanics-I(ME-203) Semester: III
Session: July-December 2019
Course Coordinator: Dr. Sukumar Pati
Proble m sheet: 4

1. A block of width 1.5 m, depth 1 m and length 4 m is floating in water. If the density
of block is 700 kg/m3 , find the volume of water displaced and the position of centre of
buoyancy. (Ans. 4.2 m3 , 0.35 m from base)

2. An iceberg floats in sea water. If the specific gravity of iceberg and seawater are 0.9
and 1.03 respectively, find the percentage of total volume of the iceberg below the sea
water surface. (Ans, 87.38% )

3. A metallic block floats at the interface between mercury and water such that 30% of
its volume is submerged in mercury and 70% in water. If the specific gravity of
mercury is 13.6, find the specific gravity of the block. (Ans. 4.78)

4. A piece of wood (specific gravity = 0.75) of 12 cm square in cross-section and 3 m

long floats in water. How much lead ( specific gravity = 12) need to be fastened at the
lower end of the stick so that it floats upright with 0.7 m length out of water.
(Ans. 0.0045 m)

5. A wooden block (Specific gravity 0.8) of dimensions 1 m × 0.5 m × 0.4 m floats in

water with its shortest axis vertical. Determine the metacentric height and state the
condition of its equilibrium. (Ans. 0.025 m , the cylinder is in stable equilibrium)

6. A wooden block of rectangular cross section of width b , length L and a submerged

depth of H has its centre of gravity at the waterline. Find the metacentric height, and
b
the ratio b H for which the block is stable. (Ans. ≥ 6)
H

7. A solid cone of base diameter D and vertical height H floats in water with its apex
downwards. If the specific gravity of the cone is S, show that for stable equilibrium

1  D2 S1 3 
H < 
2

4  1 − S1 3 