Hydrostatic Pressure Lab

Hydrostatic Pressure Acting on Partially and
Fully Submerged Surfaces

Team 5
J. S. Whiting, S. Childress, M. D. Preisser, D. H. Baker, L.B. Carlyle, L. M.
Battista
Introduction
Abstract
Hydrostatic pressure analysis can be

used to determine the magnitude and
location of forces on both partially and
fully submerged surfaces. This
information is vital in the design
process for many applications like dam
and retainer wall construction. Material
strengths must be able to withstand
the hydrostatic forces being exerted on
the dam surface by the contained fluid.
In this experiment an EDIBON
hydrostatic pressure system was used
to observe hydrostatic forces acting on
partially and fully submerged surfaces.
This was accomplished through the
use of a fixed pivot point and a counter
force created by adding mass to the
far side of an attached lever thus
creating a zero moment about the
pivot. A mass from 15 to 430 grams
was loaded onto the arm and water
was added to the tank until the lever
was back to its resting point. Then the
water depth was recorded. After data
recording the theoretical water depth
was calculated based on each mass
load. The resulting values were
recorded in Table 1 and Table 2. The
mass load was compared to measured
height and the relationship was
polynomial as expected through
derivation of Equations 6 and 9. Then
the measured and theoretical depths
were compared and the fully
submerged surfaces error in
measurement was more accurate due
to higher stability and higher accuracy
in depth measuring. The data
supported that the EDIBON hydrostatic
pressure system was a fair estimate
for hydrostatic force.
A well established method for finding

the direction, location, and momentum
of forces acting on an object in Statics
is taking the summation of moments
about a point and setting it equal to
zero as seen in Equation 1.
M O =M 1 + M 2 =0
[1]
The moment about a point is no more

than the product of the force acting on
an object and the perpendicular
distance from the point to the forces
line of action as seen in Equation 2.
M =Fx
[2]
(Hibbeler, 2010)
Fluid Statics deals with pressures
exerted by fluids on surfaces thus
creating a force at a pressure center.
When the surface is partially
submerged Equation 3 can represent
the force exerted.
Fr =( Po + gh c ) A s
[3]
Similarly Equation 4 represents the

exact placement of this force or the
pressure center.
[4]
h p =hc +
I xx , C
P
(h + gsin
)A
o
Equations two through four can be

combined to show the moment a fluid
creates about a point O on an object in
Equation 5.
[5]
M o=( Po + gh c ) A s x(h c +
I xx , C
)
Po
hc +
As
gsin
horizontal. Then 15 grams were added

to the mass hook and water was added
to the tank until the lever was
horizontal again, the water depth was
recorded. This process was repeated
until the water level reached 91
millimeters completing the partially
submerged experiment. Then the
process was repeated from 107.5 to
156 millimeters for the fully
submerged experiment.
For the special case that occurs in this

experiment (a rectangular surface area
at atmospheric pressure) the Equation
reduces to:
[4]
h I xx ,C
hp = + 2
2 h b
2
[5]
M O=g h2 b x
( h3 )
Because
Po=0 , As = bh, hc=
h
,
2
and
bh
I xx ,C =
12
(Cengel and Cimbala, 2010)
Figure 1: EDIBON Hydrostatic

Pressure measuring apparatus lever
with fixed pivot fulcrum and counter
weight to the right and mass plate
hook to the left
Partially Submerged Surface
The theoretical depth of water based
on the mass load was calculated using
Equation 6.
Objectives
Calculate the hydrostatic force

exerted on a partially and a
fully submerged surface by
water using summation of
moments and for various mass
loads.
Calculate the theoretical depth
of water for particular mass
loads using summation of
moments.
Compare measured values to
theoretical values for water
depth.
Materials and Methods

An EDIBON device was placed such
that the water level was touching the
bottom surface and we lever was
[6]
m=
b
y
a+ d y 2
2L
3
The distance from the fulcrum to the

pressure center was calculated using
Equation 7.
[7]
h p =a+d
h
3
The force exerted at the pressure

center was calculated using Equation
8.
[8]
F=
gh 2 b
2
Fully Submerged Surface
The theoretical depth of water based

on the mass load was calculated using
Equation 9.
[9]
m=
bd
d
d2
a+
r'
L
2 12 r '
r '= y
d
2
The distance from the fulcrum to the

pressure center was calculated using
Equation 10.
[10]
h p=
d d2
a+
2 12r
d
r=h
2
The force exerted at the pressure
center was calculated using Equation
11.
[11]
h= measured water depth (m)

hp= distance from fulcrum to pressure
center (m)
F= hydrostatic force acting at the
pressure
center (N)
a= distance from fulcrum to the top of
the
surface = 0.1 m
d= distance from the top of the
surface to the
bottom of the surface = 0.1 m
b= width of the surface = 0.07 m
L= length of lever = 0.285 m
g= local acceleration due to
gravity=9.81 m/s2
Results and Discussion

Partially Submerged Surface
In figure 3 there is a polynomial
relationship with an R2 of nearly one
thus reflecting the principle illustrated
by equation 6
F=gbrd
Figure 3: Mass load on lever as

related to the Theoretical depth of
water for a partially submerged
surface
Figure 2: Schematic of EDIBON

apparatus with dimensions
Constants and Variables:

m= mass (kg)
= density (kg/m3)
y= theoretical water depth (m)
In figure 4, the relationship between

Theoretical and measured water depth
is linear with a slope of .78 and an
adjustment value of 0.0134 m
meaning the theoretical and measured
values are off by a slight margin and
may require re-calibration of the
apparatus.
center and the measured water depth

for a partially submerged surface
Figure 7 shows the relative error for
the partially submerged surface for
each mass load. The first 4
measurements are off by an
unacceptable margin due to flawed
measurement (view of horizontal
lever).
Figure 4: Theoretical water depth
related to measured water depth for a
partially submerged surface
In figure 5 there is a linear relationship
a negative slope between fulcrum
distance and measured water depth as
expected because as the water level
rises it brings the pressure center
closer to the fulcrum thus decreasing
the distance between them.
Figure 5: Relationship between the

measured water depth and the
distance from the pressure center to
the fulcrum for a partially submerged
surface
Figure 7: The error between the

theoretical and measured depths of
water in relation to the theoretical
depth of water for a partially
submerged surface.
Fully Submerged Surface
In figure 8 there is a perfect (R2=1)
polynomial relationship between the
mass load and theoretical water depth.
This goes hand in hand with equation
9.
In figure 6 the relationship is a perfect

(R2=1) power series, which bolsters
equation 8.
Figure 8: Mass load on lever as

related to the Theoretical depth of
water for a fully submerged surface

hydrostatic force acting at the pressure
In figure 9 the relationship between

theoretical and measured water depth
is a nearly perfect (R2=.997) linear
relationship. Meaning that the
hydrostatic pressure system was an
excellent estimation for hydrostatic
force of the fully submerged surface.
Figure 9: Theoretical water depth

related to measured water depth for a
fully submerged surface
fulcrum distance and measured water
depth as expected because as the
water level rises it brings the pressure
center closer to the fulcrum thus
decreasing the distance between
them.

hydrostatic force acting at the pressure
center and the measured water depth
for a fully submerged surface
Figure 12 shows the relative error for
the fully submerged surface for each
mass load. The low margin of error
shows that the system is a good
estimate for hydrostatic forces on fully
submerged surfaces.

measured water depth and the
distance from the pressure center to
the fulcrum for a fully submerged
surface
force and measured water depth is
perfectly linear (R2=1) with a small
adjustment value, which is represented
by equation 11 in which the
adjustment value is within the r
calculation.
Figure 12: The error between the

theoretical and measured depths of
water in relation to the theoretical
depth of water for a fully submerged
surface.
Conclusions
The large margin of error and

consistency within the first experiment
lead to the conclusion that the system
is a good estimate of hydrostatic
pressure for a partially submerged
surface when used properly and fully
calibrated.
The consistency and small margin of
error within the second experiment
lead to the conclusion that the system
is an excellent estimate of hydrostatic
pressure for a fully submerged surface.
Tables:
Table 1: Data and Calculated Values for a Partially Submerged Surface
mass
(kg)
Load
Height
Measured
(m)
0.015
0.0145
0.025
0.023
0.035
0.0299
0.05
0.038
0.075
0.049
0.1
0.059
0.15
0.078
0.2
0.0915
Theoretica
l Height
(m)
0.024156
603
0.030824
074
0.036624
614
0.043534
099
0.052957
682
0.060597
413
0.073696
719
0.084476
246
Pressure
Center
(m)
0.165166
667
0.162333
333
0.160033
333
0.157333
333
0.153666
667
0.150333
333
0.144
0.1395
Force at
Pressure
Center (N)
0.072189
338
0.181632
15
0.306958
334
0.495797
4
0.824383
35
1.195201
35
2.088941
4
2.874612
038
Relative
Error (%)
39.97500
336
25.38299
704
18.36091
5
12.71210
096
7.473292
012
2.636107
212
5.839175
32
8.314472
331
Table 2: Data and Calculated Values for a Fully Submerged Surface
Load
9
mass
(kg)
Height
Measured
(m)
0.1075
11
0.25
0.27
5
0.28
5
12
0.3
0.123
13
0.35
0.1365
14
0.15
15
0.4
0.42
5
0.157
16
0.43
0.158
10
0.115
0.119
Theoretic
al Height
(m)
0.112301
587
0.119087
302
0.121801
587
0.125873
016
0.139444
444
0.153015
873
0.159801
587
0.161158
73
Force at
Pressure Pressure
Center
Center
(m)
(N)
0.164492 3.94852
754
5
0.162820
513 4.46355
0.162077
295 4.73823
0.161415
525 5.01291
0.159633 5.93995
911
5
0.158333
333
6.867
0.157788
162 7.34769
0.157716
049 7.41636
References
Relative
Error (%)
4.275618
375
3.432189
27
2.300123
803
2.282471
627
2.111553
785
1.970954
357
1.753166
129
1.960011
819
engel, Yunus A., and John M. Cimbala. Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and
Applications. Boston, Mass.: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Hibbeler, R. C. Engineering Mechanics: Statics. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2010.

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Hydrostatic Pressure Acting on Partially and

Fully Submerged Surfaces

Hydrostatic pressure analysis can be

A well established method for finding

The moment about a point is no more

Similarly Equation 4 represents the

Equations two through four can be

horizontal. Then 15 grams were added

For the special case that occurs in this

Po=0 , As = bh, hc=

(Cengel and Cimbala, 2010)

Figure 1: EDIBON Hydrostatic

Calculate the hydrostatic force

Materials and Methods

The distance from the fulcrum to the

The force exerted at the pressure

Fully Submerged Surface

The theoretical depth of water based

The distance from the fulcrum to the

h= measured water depth (m)

Results and Discussion

Figure 3: Mass load on lever as

Figure 2: Schematic of EDIBON

Constants and Variables:

In figure 4, the relationship between

center and the measured water depth

Figure 5: Relationship between the

Figure 7: The error between the

In figure 6 the relationship is a perfect

Figure 8: Mass load on lever as

Figure 6: Relationship between the

In figure 9 the relationship between

Figure 9: Theoretical water depth

Figure 11: Relationship between the

Figure 10: Relationship between the

Figure 12: The error between the

The large margin of error and

Table 2: Data and Calculated Values for a Fully Submerged Surface

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