metacentre

metacentre

also spelled  metacenter 

      in fluid mechanics, the theoretical point at which an imaginary vertical line through the centre of buoyancy intersects another imaginary vertical line through a new centre of buoyancy created when the body is displaced, or tipped, in the water, however little.

      The centre of buoyancy of a floating body is the point about which all the body parts exactly buoy each other, in other words, the effective centre of the displaced water. The metacentre remains directly above the centre of buoyancy regardless of the tilt of a floating body, such as a ship. When at rest on even keel, the vessel's centre of buoyancy is directly below the centre of gravity (gravity, centre of) as well as below the metacentre. (The centre of gravity is the point in a body about which all parts of the body balance each other.) When a vessel tilts, one side displaces more water than does the other, and the centre of buoyancy moves and is no longer directly under the centre of gravity; but regardless of the amount of the tilt, the centre of buoyancy remains directly below the metacentre. If the metacentre is above the centre of gravity, buoyancy restores stability when the ship tilts. The stability increases with the distance between metacentre and centre of gravity, called the metacentric height. If the metacentre is below the centre of gravity, the boat is unstable, and a tilt results in capsizing.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • métacentre — [ metasɑ̃tr ] n. m. • 1746; de méta et centre ♦ Phys. Point d application de la résultante des forces qui s exercent sur un corps solide flottant. Adj. MÉTACENTRIQUE . ● métacentre nom masculin Point d intersection de l axe longitudinal d un… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • metacentre — metacentras statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. metacenter; metacentre vok. Metazentrum, n rus. метацентр, m pranc. métacentre, m; point métacentrique, m …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • métacentre — metacentras statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. metacenter; metacentre vok. Metazentrum, n rus. метацентр, m pranc. métacentre, m; point métacentrique, m …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • Metacentre — Metacenter Met a*cen teror Metacentre Met a*cen tre, n. [Pref. meta + center.] (Hydrostatics) The point of intersection of a vertical line through the center of gravity of the fluid displaced by a floating body which is tipped through a small… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • metacentre — /ˈmɛtəsɛntə/ (say metuhsentuh) noun the point where the vertical line through the centre of buoyancy of a floating body (as a ship) in equilibrium meets the vertical line through the new centre of buoyancy when the body is in a slightly inclined… …  

  • metacentre — noun /ˈmɛtəsɛntə/ A midway point between a ships centre of buoyancy when upright and its centre of buoyancy when tilted; it must be above the centre of gravity to enable a tilting ship to return to an upright position …   Wiktionary

  • métacentre — (mé ta san tr ) s. m. Terme de marine. Point où la ligne verticale, passant par le centre de gravité d un navire, se rencontre avec la résultante de la pression latérale que l eau exerce sur ce navire, quand il est penché de côté. ÉTYMOLOGIE… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • metacentre — (US metacenter) noun the point of intersection between an imaginary vertical line through the centre of buoyancy of an level floating vessel and a corresponding line through the new centre of buoyancy when the vessel is tilted. Derivatives… …   English new terms dictionary

  • metacentre — n. (US metacenter) the point of intersection between a line (vertical in equilibrium) through the centre of gravity of a floating body and a vertical line through the centre of pressure after a slight angular displacement, which must be above the …   Useful english dictionary

  • métacentrique — métacentre [ metasɑ̃tr ] n. m. • 1746; de méta et centre ♦ Phys. Point d application de la résultante des forces qui s exercent sur un corps solide flottant. Adj. MÉTACENTRIQUE . ● métacentrique adjectif Se dit d un chromosome dont le centromère… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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