The metacentric height is the distance between the
- Acenter of gravity of the floating body and the center of buoyancy
- Bcenter of gravity of the floating body and metacenterCorrect
- Cmetacenter and center of buoyancy
- Doriginal center of buoyancy and new center of buoyancy
Solution
Concept
Definition of metacentric height
Formula
NONE
Step-by-step solution
1. The metacenter is the point of intersection of the axis of symmetry and the vertical line through the new center of buoyancy of a tilted floating body. 2. Metacentric height (GM) is a key measure of the initial static stability of a floating body. 3. It is defined as the distance between the center of gravity (G) of the body and its metacenter (M). Answer: B
Explanation
Metacentric height is defined as the vertical distance between the center of gravity of a floating body and its metacenter. It serves as a fundamental indicator of the initial stability of a floating vessel. A positive metacentric height creates a restoring moment that returns the tilted body to an upright equilibrium position.
Why the other options are wrong
A) The distance between the center of gravity and center of buoyancy is known as the BG distance. C) The distance between metacenter and center of buoyancy is known as the metacentric radius (BM). D) The distance between original and new center of buoyancy reflects buoyancy displacement, not metacentric height.
Shortcut
Metacentric height = Distance between Center of Gravity (G) and Metacenter (M).
Common mistake
Confusing metacentric height with the distance between the center of buoyancy and the metacenter.
Correct answer: B) center of gravity of the floating body and metacenter