CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that student of class has successfully

completed the research on the below mentioned project
aimed to find out the viscosity of different liquids under
the guidance of during the academic year 2016-17 in
partial fulfilment of curriculum of CENTRAL BOARD OF
SECONDARY EDUCATION(CBSE).

Teacher
Incharge

ACKNOWLEDGE
MENT
I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks
to my physics teacher for her invaluable guidance,
constant encouragement, constructive comments and
immense motivation which has sustained my efforts at
all stages of this project work.
Her valuable advice and suggestions for the
corrections, modifications and improvement did
enhance the perfection in performing my job well.

INRODUCTION
ABOUT VISCOSITY
VISCOSITY: The viscosity of a liquid/fluid is a measure
of its resistance to gradual deformation by sheer
stress or tensile strength. For liquids, it corresponds
to the informal concepts of thickness. For eg: Honey
has much higher viscosity than water.
Viscosity is a property arising from collisions between
neighbouring particles in a fluid that are moving at
different velocities. When the fluid is forced through a
tube, the particles which compose the fluid generally
move more quickly near the tubes axis and more
slowly near the walls. Therefore, some stress is needed
to overcome the friction between the particle
layers to keep the fluid moving. For the same velocity
pattern, the stress required is proportional to the
fluids viscosity.

SOME IMPORTANT
TERMS
DYNAMIC VISCOSITY: It is also known as shear
viscosity. This shear viscosity of a fluid expresses its
resistance to shearing flow where adjacent layers move
parallel to each other with different speeds. It can be
defined through idealized situation known as coquette
flow, where a layer of fluid is trapped between two
horizontal plates, one fixed and one moving
horizontally at constant speed u.
This fluid has to be homogeneous in layer and at
different shear stress.
KINEMATIC VISCOSITY: It is also called as
momentum diffusivity. This kinetic viscosity is the
ratio of the Dynamic viscosity () to the density of
fluid(). It is usually denoted by (v).
V=/
BULK VISCOSITY: When a compressible fluid is
compressed or extended evenly without shear, it may
still exhibit a force of internal friction that resists its
flow, These forces are related to the rate of
compression or expansion by a factor called volume

viscosity or bulk viscosity. It explains about the loss

of energy.
VISCOSITY TENSOR: In general, stresses within flow
can be attributed to the deformation of the material
from some rest state(elastic stress) and partly to the
rate of change of the deformation over time(viscous
stress).
Elastic stress only includes hydrostatic pressure.
In general, fluids viscosity is a relation between
strain rate and viscosity stress.
The viscosity tensor has nine independent degrees
of freedom.

VISCOSITY MEASUREMENTS
Viscosity is measured with various types of
viscometers and rheometers.
A rheometer is used for those liquids that cannot be
defined by a single value of viscosity and therefore
require more parameters to be set and measured than
in the case for a viscometer.
Extensional viscosity can be measured by
rheometers that apply extensional stress.
Volume viscosity can be measured with an
acoustic rheometer.
Vibrating Viscometers can also be used to
measure the viscosity.
One of the most common instruments for
measuring kinematic viscosity is the glass
capillary viscosity.

 In coating industries, viscosity may be measured

with a cup in which efflux time is measured.

AIM OF THE
PROJECT
To find the viscosity of various liquids such
as glycerine, vegetable oil, ether, kerosene,
honey, milk by measuring the terminal
velocity.

APPARATUS
REQUIRED
A half meter high, 5cm broad glass cylindrical
jar with millimetre graduations.
Transparent viscous liquid such as water,
ether, alcohol, glycerine , vegetable oil,
kerosene etc.
Few steel balls or ball bearings.
Screw gauge(to measure radius of ball)

 Stop watch(to calculate time)

Thermometer
Clamp with stand(supporting material)

THEORY
When a liquid flows over a flat surface, liquid
layer in contact with fixed surface AB does not
move. Upper and upper layers move forward with
increasing velocity. Due to relative motion, a
backward dragging force F acts tangentially to
every layer.

Force depends upon the following factors: Area(A) of the layer and directly
proportional .
FA.(i)
Velocity(v) of the layer from fixed surface and
directly proportional to it i.e.,
Fv.(ii)
Distance(x) of layer from fixed surface and
inversely proportional to it i.e.,
F1/x.(iii)
Combining (i),(ii) and(iii),
FAv/x
Therefore,
F=-Av/x
where is the constant of proportionality. It is
called the coefficient of viscosity.
Negative sign means the force acts opposite
to the direction of velocity.
If dv represents a small change in velocity
over distance dx then ,
F = Adv/dx
Where dv/dx is the velocity gradient (means
rate of change of velocity with distance).

DIMENSIONAL FORMULA
F= A dv/dx
=F dx/Adv
[]=[MLT-2][L]/[L2][LT-1]
[]=[ML-1T-1]
CGS UNIT: POISE(P)
SI UNIT: POISEUILLE(PI)OR DECAPOISE
1 POISEUILLE=10
POISE
One decapoise is coefficient of viscosity of a
liquid if a force of 1 newton is required to
maintain a velocity gradient of one meter per
sec per metre between two layers, each of
area 1m2.
STOKES LAW: It was shown by Stokes that
if a small sphere of radius r be moving with
a uniform velocity v(terminal velocity)
through an infinite homogeneous and
incompressible fluid of coefficient of viscosity
, it experiences a force F given by:
F=6rv
This relation is known as Stokes Law.

TERMINAL VELOCITY: The maximum

velocity acquired by the body, falling freely in
viscous medium is called terminal velocity.
Derivation/Expression:
Considering a small sphere of radius r of
density falling freely in a viscous medium
of viscosity and density ,
The weight of the sphere acting downward
W=4/3r3g
Upthrust= Weight of the liquid displaced by
the sphere
B=4/3r3g
The effective downward force,
=4/3r 3g4/3r3g
=4/3r 3(-)g
But upward force of viscosity,
F=6rv
Balanced Condition:
6rv=4/3r3(-)g
=2 r2(-)g/9v
v=2 r2(-)g/9
which is the required expression.

PROCEDURE
1 Clear the glass jar and fill it with the viscous
liquid, which must be transparent.
2 Check that the vertical scale along the height of
the jar is clearly visible. Note its least count.
3 Test the stop clock for its tight spring.(Find the
least count and zero error if any.)
4 In the mean time, find the zero error and least
count of the screw gauge.
5 Determine the radius, mean radius.

6 Drop the ball gently in the liquid. It falls down in

the liquid with accelerated velocity for about one
third height of the liquid. Then it falls with
uniform terminal velocity.
7 Start the stop watch when the ball reaches some
convenient division.
8 Stop the stop watch when the ball reaches
lowest convenient division.
9 Find and note the distance fallen and time taken
by the ball.
10 Repeat steps 6 to 9 two times more and for
every liquids.
11 Note and record the temperature of liquids.
12 Record your observations and tabulate in the
same manner for every liquid.

OBSERVATION
TABLE
(I)
Observed value of of
S.N
o

Radius of the
ball

Distanc
e

Time
(in sec)

Velocity
(in

Viscosity
(in Pa-

(in mm)

(in cm)

Radius of the
ball
(in mm)

Distanc
e
(in cm)

cm/s)

sec)

Velocity
(in
cm/s)

Viscosity
(in Pasec)

1.
2.
3.
4.

(II)
S.N
o

Time
(in sec)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Result: For Table (I) , distance=

Average Viscosity=
For Table (II) , distance=
Average Viscosity=
Experimental Value=

(I)
Observed value of of
S.N
o

Radius of the
ball
(in mm)

Distanc
e
(in cm)

Time
(in sec)

Velocity
(in
cm/s)

Viscosity
(in Pasec)

1.
2.
3.
4.

(II)
S.N
o

Radius of the
ball
(in mm)

Distanc
e
(in cm)

Time
(in sec)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Result: For Table (I) , distance=

Average Viscosity=
For Table (II) , distance=
Average Viscosity=
Experimental Value=

Velocity
(in
cm/s)

Viscosity
(in Pasec)

(I)
Observed value of of
S.N
o

Radius of the
ball
(in mm)

Distanc
e
(in cm)

Time
(in sec)

Velocity
(in
cm/s)

Viscosity
(in Pasec)

1.
2.
3.
4.

(II)
S.N
o

Radius of the
ball
(in mm)

Distanc
e
(in cm)

Time
(in sec)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Result: For Table (I) , distance=

Average Viscosity=
For Table (II) , distance=
Average Viscosity=
Experimental Value=

Velocity
(in
cm/s)

Viscosity
(in Pasec)

RESULT
The coefficient of viscosity of various liquid is
obtained as:
At temperature (00C),

S.NO

NAME/TYPE OF
LIQUID

VISCOSITY
OBTAINED FOR
PARTICULAR()

1.
2
3.

PRECAUTIONS
Liquid should be transparent to watch the
motion of the ball.
Balls should be perfectly spherical.

 Velocity should be noted only when it

becomes constant.

SOURCES OF
ERROR
The liquid may not have uniform velocity.
The balls may not be perfectly spherical.
The noted velocity may not be constant.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS REFERRED:

Physics Class XI-Lab Manual

Physics Class XI-NCERT Book
Modern ABC- Physics Class XI
SL Arora Physics Class XI

SITES REFERRED:
www.google.com
www,youtube.com
www.wikipedia.com