FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

UiTM Terengganu, Bukit Besi Campus

Program
Course
Course Code
Lecturer

:
:
:
:

Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanics and Materials Lab
MEC294

Laboratory Report
Experiment Title
_______CENTER OF PRESSURE ON A PLANE SURFACE________
___________________________________________________

No
1.

Name
MOHD NOALBAWIE BIN MOHD ROMZI

Student ID No
2014376021

2.

MOHD IZZUDDIN BIN ABDULLAH HALIM

2014177175

3.

MOHAMAD AZRI HAZIQ BIN MOHD JAFRI

2014925919

4.

MOHAMED IZWAN BIN HAMID

2014924375

5.

MOHD SHAFUAN HAKIM BIN ISMAIL

2014474092

Date of Experiment

__________________

Date of Submission

__________________

Signature

Received by:-

________________________
Lecturer
Date :

Contents
1.0

Objectives and Introduction.........................................................................3

2.0

Theory.......................................................................................................... 5

3.0

Apparatus..................................................................................................... 8

4.0

Procedure................................................................................................... 10

5.0

Results........................................................................................................ 12

6.0

Discussion.................................................................................................. 16

7.0

Conclusion.................................................................................................. 17

8.0

Reference................................................................................................... 18

2 | Page

1.0 Objectives and

Introduction

1.

Objectives

3 | Page

 To determine the centre of pressure in both submerged and partially

submerged plane
To compare the centre of pressure between experimental and

theoretical

2.

Introduction

We conducted this experiment to meet the objectives and

mentioned above. In this experiment, we are using SOLTEQ Hydrostatic
Pressure (model FM35) which was specially designed to introduce
students to the concept of centre of pressure of an object immersed in
fluid. It can be used to measure the static thrust exerted by a fluid on a
submerged surface, either fully or partially, and at the same time allowing
the comparison between the magnitude and direction of the force with
theory. The apparatus consists of a specially constructed quadrant
mounted on a balance arm. It pivots on knife edges, which also
correspond to the centre of the arc of quadrant. This means that only the
hydrostatic force acting on the rectangular end face will provide a
moment about the knife edges.
The force exerted by the hydraulic thrust is measured by direct
weighing. With no water in the tank, and no weights on the scale, the arm
is horizontal. As weights are added one by one to the scales, water can be
added to the tank so that the hydrostatic force balances the weights and
bring the arm back to horizontal. The apparatus was shown below.

SOLTEQ Hydrostatic Pressure (model FM35)

The design of many engineering systems such as water dams and
liquid storage tanks requires the determination of the forces acting on the
surfaces using fluid statics. The complete description of the resultant
hydrostatic force acting on a submerged surface requires the
4 | Page

determination of the magnitude, the direction, and the line of action of the
force.

2.0
Theor
y

5 | Page

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
through the centre of pressure and not through the centroid. Further
explanations can be obtained from the Fluid mechanic text book.
For partially submerged surface:

Partial Immersed vertical plane surface

Where,
d

=Depth of Immersion in water

=Hydrostatic Force exerted on Water surface

=Depth of centroid from the water surface

=Depth of centre of pressure from the water surface

=Distance between the fulcrum and the centre of pressure

2

gB d
Hydrostatic thrust , F=
2

(Newton)

} = {2mL} over {B {d} ^ {2}}

Experimental position of centre of pressure , h

} = {h} ^ {'} +H-d

Theoretical position of centre of pressure , h

6 | Page

(Meters)

(Meters)

For a fully submerged vertical plane surface:

Fully immersed Vertical Plane surface

Where,
d

=Depth of Immersion in water

=Hydrostatic Force exerted on Water surface

=Depth of centroid from the water surface

=Depth of centre of pressure from the water surface

=Distance between the fulcrum and the centre of pressure

Hydrostatic thrust , F= gBD(d

D
)
2 (Newton)

} = {mgL} over {F} = {ml } over {BD(d- {D} over {2} )}

Experimental positionof centre of pressure , h

(Meters)

} = {{(d- {D} over {2} )} ^ {2} +( {{D} ^ {2}} over {12} )} over {(d- {D} over {2} )} +H-d

Theoretical position of centre of pressure ,h

(Meters)

7 | Page

3.0
Appar
atus

8 | Page

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: 50g/each
Overall Dimension
Length: 340 mm
Width: 130 mm
Height: 300 mm

9 | Page

4.0
Proce
dure

10 | P a g e

Procedure
1- The hydrostatic pressure apparatus was placed on top of a hydraulic
bench.
2- The apparatus was ensured to be installed properly as in figure 1.
3- The apparatus was levelled using the adjustable feet facilitated by the
spirit level attached.
4- The counter weight was adjusted to level the balance arm in a horizontal
position.
5- The drain valve was ensured to be closed and water was added slowly into
the tank until the surface just touched the quadrant base, thus the datum
level was established.
6- The reading of the datum level was recorded.
7- A 50g weight was placed on the balance pan and water was added slowly
into the tank until the balance arm is again horizontal.
8- The mass of weight, m and the depth of immersion, d was recorded in the
experimental data sheet.
9- Steps 6 and 7 was repeated with increasing weight until the tank was full
of water.
10The water was drained after the experiment was completed.
11-

11 | P a g e

5.0
Result
s

12 | P a g e

7.result

Height of quadrant,D=0.01m
Width of quadrant,B=0.075m
Length of balance,L=0.3m
Quadrant to pivot,H=0.2m
3
Density=1000kg/ m
2
Gravity=9.81m/ s

Datum=0.0375m

Mass,m(kg Depth of
)
immersion,d(
m)

Immersion Thrust,F(N 2nd moment

(full/partial )
experimental,h
)

(m)

2nd moment
theory,h(m
)

0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45

partial
Full
Full
Full
Full
Full
Full
Full
full

.0.1842
0.1950
0.1950
0.1951
0.1951
0.1950
0.1950
0.1951
0.1951

0.0475
0.0665
0.0820
0.0955
0.1075
0.1190
0.1315
0.1435
0.1550

13 | P a g e

2.659
3.973
5.113
6.107
6.787
7.836
8.755
9.638
10.484

0.1773
6.3805
7.6442
8.6718
9.5707
10.3263
10.8570
11.3329
11.7720

Error
%

(For Mohd Noalbawie bin mohd

romzi)
Mass, m (kg) d (m)

Immersion

0.00
0.041
0.05
0.044
P
0.10
0.063
F
0.15
0.080
F
0.20
0.093
F
0.25
0.106
F
0.30
0.112
F
0.35
0.130
F
0.40
0.142
F
0.45
0.153
F
Height of Quadrant, D

Thrust, F (N)

= 0.1 m

Width of Quadrant, B

= 0.075 m

Length of Balance, L

= 0.3 m

Quadrant of Pivot, H

= 0.2 m

14 | P a g e

Density

= 1000 kg/m2

Gravity

= 9.81 m/s2

Experimental h"
(m)

0.7122
0.9565
2.2073
3.1637
4.1202
4.5617
5.8860
6.7689
7.5782
Datum

Theoretical h" (m) Error, %

0.2066
0.3077
0.2000
0.1860
0.1786
0.1935
0.1750
0.1739
0.1748
= 0.041 m

0.1853
0.2141
0.1778
0.1694
0.1649
0.1634
0.1604
0.1591
0.1581

10.3
30.4
11.1
8.9
7.6
15.5
8.3
8.5
9.5

The graph of centre of pressure vs the depth of immersion

d vs h"

f(x) = - 0.72x + 0.27

f(x) = - 0.4x + 0.21

experimental

Linear (experimental)

theoretical

Linear (theoretical)

6.0
Discu
ssion

7.0
Concl
usion

Reference
Books
1. Y.A. Cengel & J. M. Cimbala, 2006. Fluid mechanics: fundamental
and applications. 1st Ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill.
2. Uitm Fluid Mechanics lecture notes

Websites
1. http://www.jfccivilengineer.com/centre_of_pressure.html
2. http://atapaje.blogspot.com/2008/02/hydrostatic-force-on-planesurface.html
3. http://www.efm.leeds.ac.uk/CIVE/FluidsLevel1/Unit02/T3.html

8.0
Refer
ence