Stability of a freely floating object is assured if its centre ofa)Buo...
Stability of a freely floating object is an important consideration for marine vessels and other watercraft. The position of the object's centre of gravity, centre of buoyancy, and metacenter are all factors that affect its stability.
Centre of Gravity:
The centre of gravity (CG) is the point where the entire weight of the object can be assumed to be concentrated. It is the point through which the force of gravity acts on the object.
Centre of Buoyancy:
The centre of buoyancy (CB) is the point where the upward buoyant force acting on the object can be assumed to be concentrated. It is the point through which the buoyant force acts on the object.
Metacenter:
The metacenter (M) is the point at which the object's centre of gravity, when tilted, causes the object to rotate without any additional external force acting on it. It is a virtual point and depends on the shape of the object.
Stability:
Stability of an object is the ability of the object to return to its original position after being tilted or disturbed.
Relation between CG, CB, and M:
The stability of a freely floating object is assured if its centre of gravity lies below its metacenter. This is because, when tilted, the object will experience a restoring moment that will cause it to return to its original position. On the other hand, if the centre of gravity lies above the metacenter, the object will experience a destabilizing moment that will cause it to capsize.
Conclusion:
In summary, the position of the centre of gravity, centre of buoyancy, and metacenter are all important factors that affect the stability of a freely floating object. The stability is assured only if the centre of gravity lies below the metacenter.
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