Diving Paraboloid

Consider a solid object of uniform mass density whose outer surface is a revolved parabola, and whose top is a flat circular disk. The object is initially upright and at rest, with its vertex touching the surface of a body of water.

The object falls into the water, and has zero speed at the instant it becomes fully submerged. What is the ratio of the density of the object to the density of the water (to 3 decimal places)?

Details and Assumptions:

  • There is an ambient downward gravitational field.
  • Assume that the buoyant force is the only force exerted by the water on the object.


The answer is 0.333.

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2 solutions

Guilherme Niedu
Jun 6, 2017

Let us call:

  • m m as the paraboloid mass
  • R R as the paraboloid base radius
  • H H as the paraboloid height
  • y y as the portion of the paraboloid height which is submerged
  • x x as the radius of the base of the paraboloid sector which is submerged
  • v v as the paraboloid vertical velocity downwards
  • ρ H 2 O \rho_{H2O} as the water density
  • ρ p a r \rho_{par} as the paraboloid density

First, if we assume that the paraboloid follows the relation by a constant a a :

H = a R 2 \large \displaystyle H = aR^2

Then, also:

y = a x 2 \large \displaystyle y = ax^2

Dividing both equations:

x 2 = R 2 H y \color{#20A900} \boxed{ \large \displaystyle x^2 = \frac{R^2}{H} y }

Writing the differential equation of the paraboloid, since its displaced volume is π x 2 y 2 \frac{\pi x^2 y}{2} :

m d v d t = m g ρ H 2 O g π x 2 y 2 \large \displaystyle m \frac{dv}{dt} = mg - \rho_{H2O} g \frac{\pi x^2 y}{2}

d v d t = g ρ H 2 O g π R 2 2 m H y 2 \large \displaystyle \frac{dv}{dt} = g - \rho_{H2O} g \frac{\pi R^2}{2mH} y^2

Let us define:

k ρ H 2 O g π R 2 2 m H \color{#D61F06} \boxed{\large \displaystyle k \triangleq \rho_{H2O} g \frac{\pi R^2}{2mH} }

d v d t = g k y 2 \large \displaystyle \frac{dv}{dt} = g - k y^2

d v d y d y d t = g k y 2 \large \displaystyle \frac{dv}{dy} \frac{dy}{dt} = g - k y^2

d v d y v = g k y 2 \large \displaystyle \frac{dv}{dy} v = g - k y^2

v d v = ( g k y 2 ) d y \large \displaystyle v dv = \left( g - k y^2 \right) dy

Since at y = 0 y=0 , v v is also 0 0 (paraboloid begins at rest):

0 v v d v = 0 y ( g k y 2 ) d y \large \displaystyle \int_0^v v dv = \int_0^y \left( g - k y^2 \right) dy

v 2 2 = g y k y 3 3 \color{#20A900} \boxed{ \large \displaystyle \frac{v^2}{2} = gy - \frac{ky^3}{3} }

At y = H y = H (instant in which paraboloid is fully submerged), v v is also equal to 0 0 :

0 = g H k H 3 3 \large \displaystyle 0 = gH - \frac{kH^3}{3}

H 2 = 3 g k \large \displaystyle H^2= \frac{3g}{k}

H 2 = 3 g 2 m H π R 2 g ρ H 2 O \large \displaystyle H^2= 3g \frac{2mH}{\pi R^2 g \rho_{H2O} }

3 m π R 2 H 2 = ρ H 2 O \large \displaystyle \frac{3m}{\frac{\pi R^2 H}{2}} = \rho_{H2O}

3 ρ p a r = ρ H 2 O \large \displaystyle 3 \rho_{par} = \rho_{H2O}

ρ p a r ρ H 2 O = 1 3 = 0.33 \color{#3D99F6} \boxed{ \large \displaystyle \frac{\rho_{par}}{\rho_{H2O}} = \frac13 = 0.33}

Beautiful, well explained, detailed solution. Same method.

Harsh Poonia - 2 years, 1 month ago

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Thank you, my friend!

Guilherme Niedu - 2 years ago

As it is not mentioned what sort of a paraboloid is taken ,i considered a simple paraboloid obtained by the rotation of parabola y = x 2 y=x^2 about the y a x i s y axis . Therefore the equation becomes y = x 2 + z 2 y=x^2+z^2 . Now we know that the volume of a paraboloid with height h h and radius a a is 1 / 2 π a 2 h 1/2πa^2h . Assume that l l length is inside the water already. Now we can find the volume submerged using the above mentioned results.

Next proceeding as your similar last question we obtain the asked ratio to be 1 / 3 = 0.33 1/3=0.33

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