NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

NAME:__________________________________________ DATE:________________

GROUP # _________________ SECTION:______________

EXPERIMENT # 8
DETERMINATION OF METACENTER
I. OBJECTIVES:
1. To determine the metacenter of a body.
2. To compare values of theoretical metacentric height from the
geometry of the pontoon and metacentric height by experiment.
II. APPARATUS:
Metacentric height apparatus (HB014)
Hydraulic bench apparatus/ open tank filled w/ water
Oil or other alternative fluid

III. THEORY:
A floating body is said to be stable at its position, if it returns to that
position following a small disturbance. Ships, boats, and buoys are examples of floating
bodies. It is important to ensure their stability as they are used extensively in
transportation. When an object is floated horizontally on the water and its center of
gravity is at G (as shown below in the figure) at which weight of the object is acting
through point O. At the same time point O is a crossing point between the horizontal
water level and the vertical line dividing the object into half. Point B is the center of
gravity of the water displacement volume of the pontoon and is also the point at which
the buoyancy force, the water supporting force, vertically acts through. In stable
condition, the pontoon weight and buoyancy forces are equal and opposite.

G
O

BF
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

However, when the body tilts due to wind or wave action, the center of buoyancy
shifts to its new position and the two forces are no longer collinear, produces a couple
equal to the W times distance x. The point of intersection between the axis of the body
and the line of action of the buoyant force is called the metacenter.

In this experiment, we will use Metacentric height apparatus (HB014), an

equipment designed to determine the metacentric height of a floating body and the
height variations with the tilt angle. W
M

O
ϑ

BF

Reference: Introduction to Hydraulics by: Cruise, Sherif, and Singh

ESSOM Metacentric Height Apparatus Manual

IV. PROCEDURE:
1. Set up the Metacentric Height Apparatus (HB014) and switch on the
hydraulic bench. Fill the bench with water. Make sure that the hydraulic
bench will be filled by sufficient water where the pontoon (metacentric
height apparatus) will be placed.
2. Take note of the following essential data:
Pontoon weight, W = 2.520 kg
Jockey weight, w = 0.20 kg
Adjustable vertical weight = 0.40 kg
Pontoon width, D = 200 mm
Pontoon length L = 400 mm
3. Place the pontoon in water. Measure the submerged depth.
4. Adjust the vertical sliding weight on the mast and record its vertical
distance as Y1.
5. Adjust the position of the jockey weight from its central position
horizontally and record it (x distance).
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY
6. Record on the data sheet the angle of tilt for every corresponding
adjustment of jockey weight. For every height (Y1), make at least three
horizontal distances.
7. Adjustment of jockey weight can be made also horizontally both to the
right and to the left. Record all the trials being made.
8. Make the necessary computations on metacenter, comparing values
calculated from theoretical and experimental set up.
9. Previous steps can be repeated may times to obtain a satisfactory
conclusion.
10. The experiment can also be made in a liquid other than water (i.e. oil).

V. DATA & RESULTS

Liquid: _________________
Depth of displaced liquid when placing the pontoon in liquid (pontoon is stable
and zero degrees tilt): ___________.

Distance x of the jockey weight

measured from the center of the
pontoon (mm)

Height of
weight on the
mast Y1 Tilt Angle
1stSet-up

(mm) : ϑ(degree)
________

𝑥
(mm/rad)
Height of 𝜃
center of
gravity 𝑌̅: Metacentric
________ height (mm)
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

Distance x of the jockey weight

measured from the center of the
pontoon (mm)

Height of
weight on the
mast Y1 Tilt Angle
2nd Set-up

(mm) : ϑ(degree)
________

𝑥
(mm/rad)
Height of 𝜃
center of
gravity 𝑌̅: Metacentric
________ height (mm)

VI. COMPUTATIONS
• Show thru computations that the height of displaced water when placing
the pontoon in water (when pontoon is stable and does not tilt) is equal to
the actual depth you measured.

•
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

• Present two methods of computing metacentric height, that is thru

theoretical/analytic and experimentation method.
A. Determination of Theoretical Metacentric Height from the Geometry of pontoon

𝑀𝐺 𝑡ℎ =𝑀𝐵 − 𝐺𝐵
Where 𝑀𝐺 𝑡ℎ = theoretical metacentric height
𝐼 𝐿 𝐵3 𝑊
MB =𝑉 ; = ; 𝑉𝑠 = submerged volume = 𝜌 𝑔 where W = total weight of pontoon
𝑠 12
ℎ 𝐴 𝑌1+(𝑊−𝐴)𝑌𝑔 ̅̅̅̅
GB = ( 𝑌̅ - 2 )where 𝑌̅=
𝑊
Where: 𝑌𝑔 = center of gravity position without vertical sliding weight (from underside).
HB 014 has specific 𝑌𝑔 equal to 64.6 mm
A = weight of the vertical sliding weight = 500 g
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

B. Determination of Metacentric Height thru Experimental Set-up

𝑤 𝑥
𝑀𝐺𝑒𝑥𝑝 = 𝑊 𝜃
Where: 𝑀𝐺𝑒𝑥𝑝 = metacentric height by experiment
w= jockey weight
W = total weight of the pontoon
x= distance of the jockey weight from the center of the pontoon
ϑ = angle of tilt
𝑥
𝜃
= expressed in mm per radian
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

VII. DRAWING:
Draw and label the parts of HB014 – Metacentric Height Apparatus
Draw the actual experiment (i.e. tilting of pontoon)
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

VIII. OBSERVATION & CONCLUSION: