SIMPSON’S RULE

& ITS VARIOUS APPLICATIONS

 Simpson’s rules may be used to find the areas and
volumes of irregular figures.
 The rules are based on the assumption that the
boundaries of such figures are curves that follow a
definite mathematical law.
 When applies to ships they give a good approximation of
areas and volumes.
 The accuracy of the answers obtained will depend upon
the spacing of the ordinates and upon how closely the
curve follows the law.
Simpson’s 1st rule:-
 Also known as Simpson’s one-third rule.

Area = (h/3)[y0 + 4y1 + 2y2 + 4y3 + 2y4 + …………….+ 2yn-2 + 4yn-1 + yn]

 1, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2,……….2, 4, 1 are called Simpson’s

multiplier.
 This rule can be used to find the areas when there are an
odd number of ordinates.

x
 Simpson’s 2ndrule:-
 Also known as Simpson’s three-eight rule.

Area = (3/8)h [y0 + 3y1 + 3y2 + 2y3 + 3y4 + 3y5 + 2y6 +..…+ 2yn-3 + 3yn-2 + 3yn-1 + yn]

 1, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2,…………2, 3, 3, 1 are called Simpson’s multiplier.

 Applying this rule, the number of sub-intervals should be taken as
multiple of three.
 Simpson’s third rule:-
 This is the five-eight (or five-eight minus one) rule, and is used to
find the area between two consecutive ordinates when three
consecutive ordinates are known.

Area = (h/12)[ 5y1 + 8y2 –y3 ]

 A coefficient of (1/12) with multipliers of 5, 8, -1 etc.

Moment about the very first ordinate = (h2/24)[ 3y1 + 10y2 – y3]
It is often found necessary to determine the centroid of a curved
plane such as a water plane and the second moment of area of a
water plane.

Consider a plane ABCD.

Divide the plane into thin strips of length dx.
Let one such strip, distance x from AB, have an ordinate y.

dx

A D

x
y

B C
 Area of strip = y × dx
 Total area of plane = ∑ (y × dx)
 = ∑ (y × dx)
 The area of the plane may be found by putting the ordinates y
through Simpson's Rule.

 First moment of area of strip about AB = x × (y . dx)

 = x y dx
 First moment of area of plane about AB = ∑(x y dx)

 = ∑(x y dx)
 Now, it was mentioned earlier that Simpson's Rule may be used to
find the area under any continuous curve, no matter what the
ordinates represent. Such a curve may be drawn on a base equal to
BC, with ordinates of xy, and the area under this curve may be
found by putting the values of xy through Simpson's Rule.
 Second moment of area of strip about AB = INA + Ax2
 = {(y dx3)/12} + {y dx x2}
 = {(y dx3)/12} + {y x2 dx}
 This may be reduced to {y x2 dx} since dx is very small.

 Second moment of area of plane about AB = ∑ {y x2 dx}

 = ∑ {y x2 dx}
 This may be found by
dxputting the values of y x through
2

Simpson's Rule.
A D

x
y

B C
  First moment of area of strip about BC = ½ y × y dx
 = ½ y2 dx
 First moment of area of plane about BC = ∑ (½ y2 dx)

 = ∑ (½ y2 dx)

 This may be found by putting ½ y2 through Simpson's Rule

dx

A D

x
y

B C
 Second moment of area of strip about BC = INA + A (½ y)2
 = {(y3 dx)/12} + { (½ y)2 y dx}
 = (y3 dx)/3
 = (y3 /3 dx)

 Second moment of area of plane about BC = ∑ (y3 /3 dx)

 = ∑ (y3 /3 dx)

 This may be found by putting y3 /3 through Simpson's Rule

 Areas of waterplanes and similar figures

 Since a ship is uniformly built about the centreline it is only necessary to

calculate the area of half the waterplane and then double the area found
to obtain the area of the whole waterplane.

 Fig. represents the starboard side of a ship’s waterplane area. To find the
area, the centreline is divided into a number of equal lengths (equally
spaced sections) say eight, each ‘h’ m apart. The length ‘h’ is called the
common interval.
 The half breadths A, B, C, D, etc. are then measured at each station and
each of them is called a half-ordinate.
 Simpson’s first rule

 Area of ½ waterplane = (h/3) [A+ I + 4(B + D + F +H) + 2(C + E

+ G)]
 Area of ½ waterplane = (h/3)[A + 4B + 2C + 4D + 2E + 4F + 2G
+ 4H + I]
 Within the brackets the half-ordinates should appear in their
correct sequence from forward to aft.
WATERPLANE AREA

Area of half WP
= (h/3) ∑A

Area of full WP
= 2 × (h/3) ∑A
CALCULATION OF CENTROID OF WATERPLANE
Stn No. ½ Ord. SM Product Lever Product
for Area w.r.t. for first
midship moment
AP - 1 5
1 - 4 4
2 - 2 3
3 - 4 2
4 - 2 1
5 - 4 0
6 - 2 -1
7 - 4 -2
8 - 2 -3
9 - 4 -4
10 - 1 -5
∑A = ∑m =

Centroid from midship = h [ ∑m / ∑A ]

VOLUME OF DISPLACEMENT
Stn No. Immersed SM Volume
cross-sectional function
area

AP - 1

1 - 4

2 - 2 Volume of displacement

3 - 4 = (h/3) ∑v
4 - 2

5 - 4

6 - 1

∑v =
VOLUME OF DISPLACEMENT

WL WP Area SM Product
for
volume

BL - 1

1 - 4

2 - 2
Volume of displacement
3 - 4

4 - 2 = (h/3) ∑v

5 - 4

6 - 1

∑v = …….
CALCULATION OF LCB B

Stn No. Immersed SM Product Lever Product

cross-sectional for w.r.t. for
area Volume midship moment
AP - 1 +3
1 - 4 +2
2 - 2 +1
3 - 4 0
4 - 2 -1
5 - 4 -2
6 - 1 -3
∑v = ∑m =

LCB w.r.t. Midships = h [ ∑m / ∑v ]

CALCULATION OF KB B

WL WP Area SM Product Lever Product

for volume w.r.t. keel / for
BL moment
BL - 1 0
1 - 4 1
2 - 2 2
3 - 4 3
4 - 2 4
5 - 4 5
6 - 1 6
∑v = ∑m =

KB = h [ ∑m / ∑v ]