Hydrostatic Force Calculations: The textbook presents different approaches to obtain the hydrostatic force. One approach is the geometric method which essentially breaks the force up into shapes of distributed loads. Another approach is the integral method which requires one to first determine an equation for dA which typically is 2xdy where x is determined as a function of y. A third, more boring, approach is the formula method which simply utilizes common equations for the resultant force as pressure times Area and locates the centroid using given moments of intertia for select shapes. When the force is acting on an irregular shape then the Force resolving method may be used which breaks the resultant force into verticle and horiztonal components such that the resultant force FR = SQRT(FX2 +Fy?). The calculation for Fx should be the Centroidal pressure created by being a certain depth below the fluid surface multiplied by area. The calculation for Fy should be gamma (or specific weight) multiplied by the Volume of water displaced.
