Aren't they equal?

A sphere is just immersed in a liquid. Find the ratio of hydrostatic force acting on top and bottom half of sphere.


The answer is 0.2.

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2 solutions

Quick 'n' dirty

Cut the sphere in top half and bottom half. On the cutting surface, the pressure in both directions is P = ρ g R P = \rho g R , and the resulting vertical force is F i n = P A = π ρ g R 3 F_{in} = PA = \pi \rho g R^3 on each half sphere.

Call the total force on the outside of each half sphere F o u t F_{out} , then the buoyant force F B = ± ( F o u t F i n ) F_B = \pm(F_{out} - F_{in}) is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. Since the displaced fluid has the shape of a half-sphere, we know that F B = m g = ρ V g = 2 3 π ρ g r 3 F_B = mg = \rho V g = \tfrac23\pi \rho g r^3 .

Thus F o u t = F i n F B = π ρ g R 3 2 3 π ρ g R 3 = { 1 3 π ρ g R 3 top 5 3 π ρ g R 3 bottom . F_{out} = F_{in} \mp F_B = \pi \rho g R^3 \mp \tfrac23\pi\rho g R^3 = \begin{cases}\tfrac13\pi\rho gR^3 & \text{top} \\ \tfrac53\pi\rho gR^3 & \text{bottom} \end{cases}.

The ratio is obviously 1 3 π ρ g R 3 5 3 π ρ g R 3 = 1 5 = 0.2 . \frac{\tfrac 13\pi\rho gR^3 }{\tfrac 53\pi\rho gR^3} = \frac 1 5 = \boxed{0.2}.


Standard approach

Choose units in which the radius is 1, and ρ g = 1 \rho g = 1 .

Consider a surface element d A = cos θ d θ d ϕ , dA = \cos\theta\:d\theta\:d\phi, where θ \theta is the "latitude" and ϕ \phi the "longitude".

On this element acts a pressure P = ρ g y = 1 sin θ P = \rho g y = 1 - \sin\theta . Since all horizontal force components cancel, we only consider the vertical force component, d F = P sin θ d A = ( 1 sin θ ) sin θ cos θ d θ d ϕ . dF = P\sin\theta\:dA = (1 - \sin\theta)\sin \theta\cos\theta\:d\theta\:d\phi. Integrate this over the half-sphere: F = 0 ± π / 2 0 2 π d ϕ d θ ( 1 sin θ ) sin θ cos θ = 2 π 0 ± π / 2 d θ ( sin θ cos θ sin 2 θ cos θ ) . F = \int_0^{\pm \pi/2} \int_0^{2\pi} d\phi\:d\theta\:(1 - \sin\theta)\sin\theta\cos\theta = 2\pi \int_0^{\pm \pi/2} d\theta (\sin\theta\cos\theta - \sin^2\theta\cos\theta). = 2 π ( 0 ± π / 2 1 2 sin 2 θ d θ 0 ± π / 2 sin 2 θ d sin θ ) = 2 π ( [ 1 4 cos 2 θ ] 0 ± π / 2 [ 1 3 sin 3 θ ] 0 ± π / 2 ) = 2\pi \left(\int_0^{\pm \pi/2} \tfrac12 \sin 2\theta\:d\theta - \int_0^{\pm\pi/2} \sin^2\theta\:d\sin\theta\right) = 2\pi\left(\left[-\tfrac14\cos2\theta\right]_0^{\pm \pi/2} - \left[\tfrac13\sin^3\theta\right]_0^{\pm\pi/2}\right) = 2 π ( 1 2 1 3 ) = 1 3 π ( top ) , 5 3 π ( bottom ) . = 2\pi\left(\tfrac12 \mp \tfrac13\right) = \tfrac13\pi\ (\text{top}),\ \tfrac53\pi\ (\text{bottom}). Thus the ratio is 1 3 π 5 3 π = 1 5 = 0.2 . \frac{\tfrac 13\pi}{\tfrac 53\pi} = \frac 1 5 = \boxed{0.2}.

Rajdeep Brahma
Jan 8, 2018

Hydrostatic force is the weight of water above, the volume of sphere inscribed in a cylinder is 2/3 the volume of cylinder.Above the sphere is 1/6 and below the sphere is 1/6....hence the net ratio is (1/6)/(5/6)=0.2.

The other upvote must be of @Dipanwita Guhathakurta (Dipu) didi

Md Zuhair - 3 years, 4 months ago

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Haahaaa....might be...topper girl....😂😂

rajdeep brahma - 3 years, 4 months ago

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:P True that

Md Zuhair - 3 years, 4 months ago

@rajdeep brahma Can you please explain me your working , I couldn't understand what you meant (I am not good at fluids).

Ankit Kumar Jain - 3 years, 3 months ago

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Yeah.Sorry to be late.See imagine the situation.Draw it in your copy.Now draw a cylinder circumscribing the sphere.Determine the volume of the sphere and cylinder.See the height of cylinder is the diameter of sphere.Then u will see volume of sphere is 2/3 of that of cylinder.So remaining volume is 1/3....equally distributed above and below the sphere.So hyrostatic force is the FORCE EXERTED BY FLUID AT EQUILIBRIUM.So above the sphere it is 1/6 and below 5/6.Hope now it is clr.feel free to mail me at rajdeepsphs@rediffmail.com

rajdeep brahma - 3 years, 2 months ago

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