School of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

THERMODYNAMICS & FLUID MECHANICS I (MM1TF1)

EXERCISE SHEET 5
Buoyancy
5.1

The can shown in figure Q5.1 floats in the position shown. What is
its weight in Newtons? If the cylinder material is uniform what is the
density of the cylinder?

9 cm
3 cm

8 cm

water
Figure Q5.1
[ 4.99N, 727 kg/m3]

5.2 A spherical plastic fishing float of mass 28g is to be used for seawater
fishing. The bait attached to the float has a mass of 7 g and a volume of
4x10-6 m3. If half of the float is visible above the water surface what is
the diameter of the float? [The density of sea water is 1025 kg/m3.]
[ 48.77 mm]

5.3

A barge, 15 m long and 3 m deep, has a trapezoidal cross-section

which is 9m wide at the top and 6 m wide at the bottom. Both ends
of the barge are vertical. The weight of the barge empty is 2.0 MN and
it carries an evenly distributed load of coal of mass 75 tonnes. The
barge floats horizontally at rest in sea water of density 1025 kg/m 3.
To what depth is the barge immersed in the water?

[ 2.502 m]

University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus

5.4 A buoy of mass 25 kg and diameter 1.2m is connected to the bottom of a

seawater harbour as shown in Figure Q5.4. A 2.3 kg bird sits on top of
the buoy. What is the tension in the cable if half of the buoy is below
water? Take the density of sea water to be 1025 kg/m3.

Figure Q5.4
[ 4281N]

5.5

A thick layer of oil of density 750 kg/m3 floats on top of water of

density 1025 kg/m3.A cube of side 20 cm and mass 12 kg is
supported by a string, a shown in Figure Q5.5 such that exactly half
the cube is below the oil/water interface. What is the tension in the
string?

Figure Q5.5
[ 48.1 N]

University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus