🔍 Key Concepts
• Metacenter (M) vs center of gravity (G) and what GM (metacentric height) represents
• How the sign of GM (positive, zero, negative) relates to stability
• Definitions of stable, unstable, and neutral equilibrium for a vessel’s upright position
💭 Think About
• Think about what happens to a vessel if G is higher than M: when you heel the vessel slightly, does it tend to return upright, stay where it is, or capsize further?
• Ask yourself: in this situation, is the righting moment acting to bring the vessel back, doing nothing, or overturning it more?
• Match that physical behavior to the term that describes the type of equilibrium for small angles of heel.
✅ Before You Answer
• Verify the meaning of GM > 0, GM = 0, and GM < 0 in basic stability theory
• Check which type of equilibrium corresponds to a restoring (righting) moment, which to no moment, and which to an overturning moment
• Confirm which condition applies when M is below G, i.e., when GM is negative