Al-Balqa Applied University

Faculty of Engineering Technology

Report of Fluid mechanics Lab

Experiment No. (1)

Viscosity Measurement
Measurement of Liquid's Viscosity by Falling Sphere Method

Edited by:
Zaid Al-jonaidy
301070041
Engineering of Chemical Industries Technology
Tuesday (11-2)

Supervisor: Dr. Mohammad Al-Shannag

 Fluid Mechanics Lab
Experiment No.1: Viscosity Measurement
Abstract:
The main objective of this experiment is to measure the viscosity of different liquid at a
certain temperature by falling sphere method, and to do this, we will drop a small
spherical ball with a certain radius in a glass cylinder filled in a liquid whose viscosity will
be determined, and by measuring the ball's velocity & by knowing the ball's & liquid's
densities then by applying this values in a certain equation we can calculate the liquid's
viscosity

Introduction:
- Viscosity is an expression that indicates the internal friction force between fluid
layers (Liquids & Gases).
- The viscosity of a Newtonian fluids depends primarily on the temperature and
molecular structure and to a minor extent on pressure, except at very high
pressures.
- Gas viscosities increase with temperature and the viscosity of gases is almost
independent of pressure in the region where the ideal gas laws are applied.
- At very high pressures the viscosity increase by pressure increase especially at
critical point.
- Viscosity of liquids are generally greater than the gases.
- The viscosity of liquids usually increase by increasing of molecular weight and
decrease by increasing the temperature.
- The viscosity of liquids increase with pressure, but the effect is generally
insignificant at pressures less than 40atm.

Theory:
- Viscosity is defined as the ratio between the shear stress and the shear rate of
Newtonian fluids and given by the equation:
du
τ=µ
dy
where : (in SI unit)
τ : is the shear stress applied in the fluid (N/m2)
µ : Viscosity (Pa.s)
du
: Is the shear rate (s-1)
dy
In the cgs (centimeter, gram, second) system, viscosity is expressed in (g/cm.s)
and this unit is called the poise (P).
- Viscosity is almost reported as (cP) centipoises.
• Viscosity is in two types:
1- Dynamic viscosity: which is – as defined previously – the ratio between the shear
stress and the shear rate.
 2- Kinematic viscosity: the ratio between the dynamic viscosity and the density of the
fluid are given by the equation:
µ
υ=
ρ
• The types of fluids by the definition of viscosity is:
1- Newtonian fluids:
It is the fluids that we can apply the Newton's law in viscosity (the law is applicable)
2- Non-Newtonian fluids:
It is the fluids that we can't apply the Newton's law in viscosity (the law is not
applicable)
- Viscosity often known as a fluid property that resist shear force effect, and depend
on the cohesive forces.
In this experiment we will measure the viscosity of the two different fluids by falling sphere
method then apply in Stoke's law:
FV = 6π × µ × r × u
Where : FV : viscosity force
Then we can find the viscosity by apply the following equation:
2 (ρ − ρ l )
µ = r2 × g s
9 u
Where:
µ: Measured viscosity.
r: Sphere radius.
ρ s : Sphere density
ρl : Liquid density.
u: Measured velocity

Apparatus & Equipments:

The apparatus which used in this experiment is shown in the figure
below.
In this experiment we will drop a small ball freely and measure the
time needed to pass the distance between (1) and (2) and calculate
the velocity of the ball by the equation:
y
v = (cm/s)
t
To do this experiment we should have the following materials and
equipments.
1- Glass cylinder to measure viscosity (falling sphere
viscometer).
2- Small spheres with different diameters and known densities.
3- Stop clock to record time exactly.
4- Different liquids with known densities.

Procedure:
1- Obtain the falling sphere viscometer and the metallic balls.
2- Put the liquid which you would measure its viscosity in the Figure (1):
viscometer to a sufficient height (Note that the liquid should be Falling Sphere Viscometer

pure and the viscometer is clean)

3- Start falling the spheres and watch.
 4- Record time by turning the stop clock on when the sphere reaches the upper
marked point, and turning the stop clock off when the sphere reaches the lower
marked point.
5- Repeat the previous step for different spheres.
6- Calculate the average time needed to pass the distance (for the same ball).
7- Calculate the average velocity of the balls in the liquid (for the same ball).

Operating Fluids:
In this experiment we will measure the viscosity for tow different liquids; glycerin, and
engines oil, that the densities of it are known.

Sample of calculations:
The data sample:
Liquid Glycerin
ρ L = 1260kg/m3 T=18
C y = 12cm t = 15.7s ρ S =7800kg/m3 d=1.75mm
12
v= = 0.764cm/s
15.7
2 1.75 × 10 −3 2 2 (7800 − 1260)
µ= ( ) m × 9.81m/s 2 −3
kg/m 3 = 1.428kg/m.s = 14.28 g/cm.s = 1428cP
9 2 7.64 × 10 m/s

Results:

Liquid Glycerin, d(sphere)=1.75mm, T=18
C

Trial No. Time (s) Distance Velocity Viscosity
(cm) (cm/s) (cP)
1 15.7 12 0.764 1428.133
2 15.9 12 0.755 1446.326
3 15.6 12 0.769 1419.037

Liquid Glycerin, d(sphere)=2.5mm, T=18
C

Trial No. Time (s) Distance Velocity Viscosity
(cm) (cm/s) (cP)
1 7.5 12 1.600 1392.305
2 7.2 12 1.667 1336.613
3 7.4 12 1.622 1373.741

Liquid Oil, d(sphere)=1.75mm, T=18
C

Trial No. Time (s) Distance Velocity Viscosity
(cm) (cm/s) (cP)
1 10.3 12.6 1.223 933.244
2 10.3 12.6 1.223 933.244
3 10.3 12.6 1.223 933.244

Liquid Oil, d(sphere)=2.5mm, T=18
C

Trial No. Time (s) Distance Velocity Viscosity
(cm) (cm/s) (cP)
1 4.8 12.6 2.625 887.571
2 4.6 12.6 2.681 869.080
3 4.7 12.6 2.739 850.589
Results and discussion:
The Average viscosity of the glycerin is:
1428.133 + 1446.326 + 1419.037 + 1392.305 + 1336.613 + 1373.741
µ= = 1399.359 cP
6

The Average viscosity of the engine oil is:

933.244 + 933.244 + 933.244 + 887.571 + 869.080 + 850.589
µ= = 901.162 cP
6
As we see, the viscosity of glycerin is more than the viscosity of the oil because the
velocity of the small ball in glycerin liquid is less than the velocity of the same ball in the oil
liquid, this mean that the ball in the glycerin liquid has met more friction when it drops
down, this support that the viscosity of the glycerin is more than the oil's viscosity.

Error Analysis: (Calculation Only)

For Glycerin liquid:
µ max − µ 1446.326 − 1399.359
Maximum Viscosity Error: × 100% = = 3.36%
µ 1399.359
µ − µ min 1399.359 − 1336.613
Minimum Viscosity Error: × 100% = = 4.48%
µ 1399.359
For Oil Liquid:
µ −µ 933.244 − 901.162
Maximum Viscosity Error: max × 100% = = 3.44%
µ 933.244
µ − µ min 901.162 − 850.589
Minimum Viscosity Error: × 100% = = 5.61%
µ 901.162

Conclusions and recommendation:

Form this experiment we conclude that when the velocity of the fluid at a certain
temperature increase, the viscosity will decrease, and the figure below show this:

Figure (2) plot viscosity Vs. Velocity of the Fluid

The experiment's errors may be resulted from many reasons like:
Personal errors: this errors can be treated by using instrumental equipment to measure the
velocity.
And may also resulted when we measure the viscosity of the fluid at high values of Re
(Reynolds's number) that mean in a turbulent flow of fluid which come from high velocity of
fluid at which we measure the fluid's velocity of it, and we can solve this problem by
measuring the viscosity at low temperature of the liquid and at slow flow.

Gas viscosities increase with temperature, as predicted by kinetic theory which says that
when the temperature is increase the molecular collisions will increase, this cause more
friction between gas molecules and then the viscosity will increase.

The viscosity of liquids usually increase by decreasing the temperature because when the
temperature is decrease the liquids molecules will come closer together and the friction
between the liquid's layers will increase.

In this experiment Note that the Glass cylinder diameter should be bigger than the sphere
diameters by 100 times to ensure that the sphere will not affected by adhesive forces
between the glass cylinder and the liquid's layers, and only affected by cohesive forces
between the liquid's layers (viscosity).

References:
Smith & others, Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering, McGraw–Hill, New York, 6th
Edition, 2001.
Appendix:
Original Data:

Liquid: Glycerin ( ρ L = 1260kg/m3), Temperature = 18
C ρ S =7800kg/m3

Liquid Glycerin, d(sphere)=1.75mm Liquid Glycerin, d(sphere)=2.5mm
Distance Distance
Trial No. Time (s) Trial No. Time (s)
(cm) (cm)
1 15.7 12 1 7.5 12
2 15.9 12 2 7.2 12
3 15.6 12 3 7.4 12
3
Liquid: Oil ( ρ L = 960kg/m )
d(ball) =1.75mm
Liquid Oil, d(sphere)=1.75mm Liquid Oil, d(sphere)=2.5mm
Distance Distance
Trial No. Time (s) Trial No. Time (s)
(cm) (cm)
1 10.3 12.6 1 4.8 12.6
2 10.3 12.6 2 4.6 12.6
3 10.3 12.6 3 4.7 12.6

We can derive the viscosity law as follows:

When we drop a small sphere freely in the liquid the sphere will move with a constant
velocity, then the resultant forces equal to zero:
∑F =0
⇒ FB + FV = W
FB = ρ l × g × 43 π × r 3 ( FB ≡ Buoyant Force)
FV = 6π × µ × u × r ( StokesLaw)
W = mg = ρVg = π × r 3 × ρ S × g
4
3

⇒ ρl × g × 43 π × r 3 + 6 π × µ × u × r = 43 π × r 3 × ρ S × g

⇒ µ × u = 92 × r 2 × ρ S × g − ρ l × g × 92 × r 2
( ρ S − ρl )
⇒ µ = 92 × r 2 × g #
u