CENTER OF PRESSURE ON A PLANE SURFACE

1. Objectives:

To determine the center of pressure on both submerged and partially submerged plane
surface. To compare the center of pressure between experimental and theoretical.

2. Theory:

When a surface is submerged in a fluid, forces developed on the surface due to the fluid. For
fluid at rest, the force must act perpendicular to the submerged surface. Pressure will also
increase as the depth increased. For water (liquid) the pressure will increase linearly with
increasing depth. The resultant force on the submerged surface will act trough the center of
pressure and not through the centroid. Further explanations on this topic can be obtained from
Fluid Mechanics text book.

For a partly submerged vertical plane surface :

B ⅆ2
Hydrostatic Thrust, F=ρg [Newton]
2
2 mL
Experimental position of Centre of Pressure, h ' ' = [meters]
ρB d 2
Theoretical position of Centre of Pressure,h' ' =h' + H−d [meters]

For a fully submerged vertical plane surface :

D
Hydrostatic Thrust , F=ρgBⅆ d− ( 2 )
[Newton]

mgL mL
h' ' = =
Experimental position of Centre of Pressure, F D [meters]
(
ρBD d−
2)
D 2 D2
Theoretical position of Centre of Pressure, h ' ' =
( ⅆ−
2) ( ) + H−d [meters]
+
12

(d−|J2|)

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 3. Description and Assembly

Figure 1: Assembly Diagram of Hydrostatic Pressure (Model: FM35)

Quadrant
Material: PVC
Total Depth of Quadrant, H: 200 mm
Height of Fulcrum above Quadrant: 100 mm
Height of End Surface, D: 100 mm
Width, B: 75 mm
Length of Balance, L: 300 mm

Reservoir Tank
Material: Clear Acrylic
Volume: 5.5 L

Balance Arm
Distance between Suspended Mass and Fulcrum, L: 290 mm
Set of Weights: 50 g/each

Overall Dimension
Length: 340 mm
Width: 130 mm
Height: 300 mm

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 4. Hydrostatic Pressure on a Vertical Plane Surface

Partial Immerged Vertical Plane Surface

Fulcrum

H
Quadrant

h h’ h”
d C D
P
F

Figure 2: Partial Immersed Vertical Plane Surface

d = Depth of Immersion in Water

F = Hydrostatic Force exerted on Quadrant
h = Depth of Centroid from the Water Surface
h’ = Depth of Center of Pressure from the Water
Surface
h” = Distance between Fulcrum and the Center of Pressure

Fully Immerged Vertical Plane Surface

Fulcrum

H
Quadrant

D/2 h
d h’ h” C
D
P
F

Figure 3: Fully Immersed Vertical Plane Surface

d = Depth of Immersion in Water

F = Hydrostatic Force exerted on Quadrant
h = Depth of Centroid from the Water Surface

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 h’ = Depth of Center of Pressure from the Water
Surface
h” = Distance between Fulcrum and the Center of
Pressure