Self-Assessment Example Sheet 4 Buoyancy

Links to pages 49-54 Fluid Mechanics notes

4.1 The can shown in figure Q4.1 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 Q4.1
[ 4.99N, 727 kg/m ] 3

4.2 A spherical plastic fishing float of mass 28 g 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]

4.3 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/m3. To what depth is
the barge immersed in the water?

[ 2.502 m]

4.4 A buoy of mass 25 kg and diameter 1.2m is connected to the

bottom of a seawater harbour. 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.

[ 4281N]
4.5 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,
as shown in Figure Q4.5 such that exactly half the cube is below the
oil/water interface. What is the tension in the string?

Figure Q4.5

[ 48.1 N]