When a body floating in a liquid is displaced slightly, it oscillates about ______
Floating Body Oscillation Physics
When a body is floating in a liquid, it is in a state of equilibrium. If this body is slightly tilted or displaced from its equilibrium position, it tends to return to its original position. This tendency causes it to oscillate.
Metacentre Determines Oscillation Point
The point about which a floating body oscillates after a slight angular displacement is called the metacentre.
- The centre of buoyancy (B) is the centre of gravity of the displaced liquid.
- The metacentre (M) is the point where the vertical line passing through the new centre of buoyancy intersects the original vertical centerline of the body after it has been slightly tilted.
- For stable equilibrium, the metacentre must be above the centre of gravity (G).
- When the body is tilted, the buoyant force creates a restoring moment that acts to bring the body back to equilibrium. This moment effectively pivots around the metacentre (M).
- Therefore, the oscillation occurs about the metacentre.
The oscillation is a result of the restoring couple acting on the body, which brings it back towards its equilibrium position, with the metacentre acting as the center of this rotational motion.
Important Questions from Buoyancy and Floatation
If two objects are weighed in water and both of them lose the same weight, then the two objects must have identical
A rectangular block is floating in a liquid. The distance of the metacentre from the point of buoyance is equal to the ratio of
A wooden cube of side 0.2 m is floating in the water. The density of wood is 600 kg/m3. Then the volume of water displaced by the wooden block is
The stability of a floating body is governed mainly by the ______.
Buoyant force for a floating body passes through:
