12/20/2016

UpthrustandViscosity|ALevelNotes

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Home > Physics > Fluids > Upthrust and Viscosity

Upthrust and Viscosity

Biology
Physics
Chemistry
Maths

Density

French

Density, is de ned as the mass per unit volume. It is measured in

Kgm-3.

Density: Mass per unit volume

Upthrust
A uid will exert a force upward on a body if it is partly or wholly
submerged within it. This is because the deeper into a uid you go, the
greater the weight of it and so the greater the pressure. This di erence in
pressure between the top and the bottom of the object produces an
upward force on it. This is called Upthrust.
According to Archimedes' Principle, the upthrust on an object in a uid is
equal to the weight of the uid displaced. So the volume of the object
multiplied by the density of the uid.

Upthrust = Weight of Fluid Displaced

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Viscosity
In a uid, each 'layer' experts a force of friction of each other 'layer'. This
frictional force is also present when solid object moves through a liquid.

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12/20/2016

UpthrustandViscosity|ALevelNotes

This force is termed Viscous Drag. Viscous Drag is greater in Turbulent

Flow than Laminar Flow.
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The size of the Viscous Drag in a uid depends on the (coe cient of)
Viscosity of that uid. Viscosity is given the letter and is measured in
Kgm-2s or Pa s. The greater the Viscosity, the greater the Viscous Drag.
In most liquids, Viscosity decreases as temperature increases, whereas
in most gases, Viscosity increases as temperature increases. It is
therefore important to always measure the temperature of a uid when
measuring Viscosity.
It is possible to calculate the drag force exerted on a spherical object in a
uid using Stoke's Law:

F = 6rv
Stoke's Law assumes Laminar Flow, and so low velocities.

In this equation, v represents Terminal Velocity. This means that the

forces acting on the object are balanced. This means that is it possible
to form an equation be equating Weight with Upthrust and Viscous
Drag (or, in the case of Upward Motion, Upthrust with Weight and Viscous
Drag).

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Copyright 2016 Sam Adam-Day

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