14.18 A cylindrical piece of cork of density of base area A and height h floats in a liquid of density ρl. The cork is depressed slightly and then released. Show that the cork oscillates up and down simple harmonically with a period
T=2π√hρρlg
where ρ is the density of cork. (Ignore damping due to viscosity of the liquid).
Weight of the cork = Weight of the liquid displaced by the floating cork
Let the cork be depressed slightly by x. As a result, some extra water of a certain volume is displaced. Hence, an extra up-thrust acts upward and provides the restoring force to the cork.
Up-thrust = Restoring force F = Weight of the extra water displaced
F = –(Volume depressed × Density × g)
Volume depressed= Area × Distance through which the cork is depressed
Volume = Ax
∴ F=-Axρlg ... (i)
In equilibrium:
F=kx
k=Fx
where k is a constant.
k=Fx=-Aρlg ...(ii)
The time period of the oscillations of the cork:
T=2π√mk ...(iii)
where,
m=Mass of the cork
m=Volume of the cork × Density
m=Base area of the cork × Height of the cork × Density of the cork
m= Ahρ
Hence, the expression for the time period becomes:
T=2π√AhρAρlg=2π√hρρlg
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