Camryn Swain

Team 3
Dr. Fasina
ENGR 3310
23 October 23 2018
Hydrostatic Pressure Lab

Abstract
This experiment examined the effect of depth of water that is at rest on the magnitude and
location of resultant force exerted on a partially and fully submerged object. The test was to
determine the height of water after mass was added to the system. Twelve different masses were
tested in two trials. Results showed that resultant force was dependent on increased water height
and the distance to center of pressure was smallest when the vertical rectangular surface was
barely fully submerged. The size of error was relatively small, 0.4%-13%. These results have
important implications to the validity of the theoretical equations used to estimate magnitude and
location of resultant force exerted on a partially and fully submerged vertical rectangular surface.
Introduction
The purpose of this experiment was to measure the effect of height of water on resultant
force and distance to center of pressure on a partially and fully submerged vertical rectangular
surface. Then, to compare the height of water to the theoretical height calculated from equations
to confirm validity. Hydrostatics is the branch of fluid mechanics that studies “fluids at rest and
the pressure in a fluid or exerted by a fluid on an immersed body” (Cengal and Cimbala, 2014).
Some principles of hydrostatics have been known in an empirical and intuitive sense throughout
history. Archimedes developed the Archimedes’ Principle, which relates the buoyancy force on
an object that is submerged in a fluid to the weight of fluid displaced by the object. Archimedes
discovered the relationship when asked to determine whether some silver had been substituted on
a crown by a dishonest goldsmith. The submerged crown would displace an of water equal to its
own volume. By dividing the mass of the crown by the volume of the water displaced, the
density of the crown could be obtained (Calinger, 1990). Fast forward 1800 years, the concept of
pressure and the way it is transmitted by fluids was formulated by French mathematician Blaise
Pascal in 1647. He proved that hydrostatic pressure depends not on the weight of the fluid but on
the elevation difference (Suter, 1946). Now combining thousands of years of research, this
experiment adds mass to determine the height of water and using the height to determine
distance to center of pressure and force. Then, comparing results to theoretical values.

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Objectives
1. To measure the effect of depth of water on the magnitude and location of resultant
force exerted on a partially and fully submerged vertical rectangular surface.
2. To confirm the validity of the theoretical equations used to estimate magnitude and
location of resultant force exerted on a partially and fully submerged vertical
rectangular surface.
Materials and Methods
The procedure is as follows using an Edibon Hydrostatics Pressure system and weights.
Attach weight tray and move the counterweight until the balance bridge arm is horizontal. Add
water to the tank until the free surface of the water touches the lowest edge of the quadrant.
Place a known mass (m) on the tray. The balance bridge arm will become non-horizontal. Add
water slowly until the arm becomes horizontal again. Record the value of the mass added and the
height of the water (h). Repeat steps until group obtains height of 100 mm. The group continues
to measure height when the rectangular surface is fully submerged until height of 160 mm is
obtained. The weights are then removed in descending order, reevaluating the masses and
heights when taken in increasing mass order.
In order to analyze my data, all measurements were converted to kg or meter. To
calculate the partially submerged theoretical height [y(m)], distance to center of pressure
[hp(m)], force [F(N)] and relative error [RE(%)], equations 1-3, and 7 were used. To calculate
the fully submerged y(m), hp(m), F(N) and RE(%) equations 4-6, and 7 were used. One
important note is that in my calculations and graphs I used the height average between the
increasing and decreasing of mass data. In calculations, density is equal to 1000 kg/m3 and
gravity is equal to 9.81 m/s2.

(7)

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Results and Discussion
Figures 1 shows that mass versus y produced an almost linear trend. If more points were
plotted, however, it seems that while being partially submerged, the mass has to increase
exponentially to reach to an almost fully submerged height. On the other hand, Figure 2’s
completely positive, linear trend confirms that once an object is fully submerged. The rate is
consistent when y is increased. The trendline of Figure 1 is to demonstrate the slight curve of the
points.

0.25

0.2

0.15
m (kg)

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
y (m)
Figure 1: mass versus theoretical height partially submerged

0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
m (kg)

0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
y (m)

Figure 2: mass versus theoretical height fully submerged

Figures 3 and 4 demonstrate that my calculations were consistent and for the most part accurate
compared to the experimental averaged height.

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 0.12

0.1

0.08
y (m)

0.06

0.04

0.02

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
h (m)
Figure 3: theoretical height versus height partially submerged

0.18
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.1
y (m)

0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
h (m)
Figure 4: theoretical height versus height fully submerged

Figures 5 and 6 show the most differing trends. Figure 1 shows that when the height of the water
is at its’ lowest points, the distance to center of pressure (hp) is at its highest. This is rational
because the center of pressure will be closest when the object is fully submerged, but not over
submerged. Figure 6 also shows the same concept but while fully submerged. When over
submerged, the distance of center of pressure increases due the difference between it and the
height of the water.

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 0.184
0.182
0.18
0.178
hp (m)

0.176
0.174
0.172
0.17
0.168
0.166
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
h (m)
Figure 5: distance to center of pressure versus height
partially submerged

0.15009
0.150085
0.15008
0.150075
hp (m)

0.15007
0.150065
0.15006
0.150055
0.15005
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
h (m)
Figure 6: distance to center of pressure versus height fully submerged

When more water is added to the system, more force is put on the rectangular object. Figure 7
and 8 demonstrate this fact while partially and fully submerged. Again, Figure 7 has a slight
exponential curve due to the inconsistencies of an object being partially submerged in a liquid
much denser than air.

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3.5
3
2.5
F (N)

2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
h (m)
Figure 7: Force versus height partially submerged

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 8
7
6
5
F (N)

4
3
2
1
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
h (m)
Figure 8: Force versus height fully submerged

My highest point of Relative Error was with the lowest weight and height, around 13%, shown in
Figure 9. This is due to me taking the average of h and the lowest mass had the highest amount
of difference between the increasing and decreasing heights. The lowest RE values are shown in
Figure 10; all are less than 1.2%.

16
14
12
10
RE (%)

8
6
4
2
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
h (m)
Figure 9: Relative error versus height partially submerged

1.4
1.2
1
RE (%)

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
h (m)

Figure 10: Relative error versus height fully submerged

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Conclusion
My increasing mass data was more accurate than the decreasing in mass data. Due to
hysteresis, the phenomenon in which the value of a physical property lags behind changes in the
effect causing it, the decreasing mass height data differed from my increasing data by 1mm-
20mm. By using the height average in calculations and graphs, I included more experimental
error. This explains any high RE and any significant differences between y and h. While y
increased, mass needed to exponentially increase until fully submerged. Increasing the amount
of water and therefore, the height of water increased the force acting on the object due to the
rationality that increasing the water increases pressure and consequently force. The hp was
smallest when the object was nearest to being barely fully submerged. Figure 5 and Figure 6
demonstrated the inverse trend between partially and fully submerged. Due to the linear
relationship between y and h while partially and fully submerged, the measurements and
calculations seem to be at least consistent and close to y. Overall, the theoretical equations were
a valid way to estimate magnitude and location of resultant force on a partially and fully
submerged object. Theoretical values would have been more accurate if I had only used the
height when mass was increasing in calculations.
References
Calinger, R. (1990). The History of Mathematics: An Introduction. David M. Burton. Isis, 81(3),
545–546.
Cengel, Y.A., and J. M. Cimbala. Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications. 4th ed.,
McGraw-Hill Education, 2018.
Suter, R. (1946). The Strange Case of Blaise Pascal. The Scientific Monthly, 62(5), 423–428.