THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA

SCHOOL OF MINES AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING

MP 211: FLUID MECHANICS TUTORIAL 3: FLUID STATICS 2

1. Assume that the following figures (A1-5)

are submerged in liquid. Derive
expressions for the depth to its centre of
pressure (hcp) in terms of the parameters
shown.

Figure A4
Figure A1

Figure A5

2. The 4m diameter circular gate of Fig 1 is

Figure A2
located in the inclined wall of a large
reservoir containing water (  =9.80
kN/m3). The gate is mounted on a shaft
along its horizontal diameter and the water
depth is 10m above the shaft. Determine
(a) the magnitude and location of the
resultant force exerted on the gate by the
water and (b) the moment that would have
Figure A3 to be applied to the shaft to open the gate.

1
 Figure 2(a)

Figure 1

3. An aquarium contains seawater (  = 10.1

kN/m3) to a depth of 0.30m as shown in fig
2(a). To repair some damage to one corner
of the tank, a triangular section is replaced
with a new section as illustrated in fig
2(b). Determine (a) the magnitude of the
force of the sea water on this triangular
area, and (b) the location of the force.
Figure 2(b)
4. A homogeneous, 1.2m-wide, 2.4m-long
rectangular gate weighing 3.6 kN is held in
place by a horizontal flexible cable as
shown in Fig. 3. Water acts against the
gate which is hinged at point A. Friction in
the hinge is negligible. Determine the
tension in the cable.

Figure 3

5. Consider a triangular plate (with PR = QR) immersed in water as shown in Figure 5. The base PQ is
horizontal. The plate is making an angle of 60 with the horizontal. All required distances are given.
Determine the magnitude and the point of application of the force due to water pressure on the
triangular plate.

2
 Figure 5

6. An inclined triangular plate as shown in figure 6 is held in water with the base at the surface. B = 4m
and H = 6m. The inclination of the plate to the horizontal is 60. Find the resultant force and the
centre of pressure (  =9.81kN/m3).

Figure 6

7. A gate AB in figure 7 is 1.0 m long and 0.9 m wide. Calculate the force F on the gate and the
position X of its centre of pressure.

Figure 7

3
8. A fish pond gate 6ft wide and 9ft high is hinged at the top and held closely by water pressure as
shown in figure 8. What horizontal force, P, applied at the bottom of the gate is required to open it.

Figure 8

9. A tank of dye has a right-triangular panel near the bottom as shown in Fig. 9. Calculate the resultant
force on the panel and locate its center of pressure.

Figure 9

USEFUL EQUATIONS AND FORMULA

4
 I xyc
F R   hc A x R

y A
 xc
c

y  I y
xc
R
yA
c
c

Prof. J.W. Ntalikwa

MP 211 Instructor, 2018/2019