PERCOBAAN

PENGUKURAN KEKENTALAN ZAT CAIR BERDASARKAN HUKUM STOKES

(Measurement of Viscosity by Stokes’ Law)

Fig.1

Based on the Fig. 1., If a marble fall into the glass tube which filled in by oil, what will happen of
the marble? Compare if the glass tube filled in by water? Give the hypothesis!

a) Apparatus
- Measuring cylinder
- Oil
- Stopwatch
- Small steel ball-bearings of varying diameter
- Micrometer screw gauge
- Meter rule
- Hydrometer
- Thermometer 0 – 100oC.

b) Method
Fill the measuring cylinder with oil and drop in the largest ball-bearing. Fix a mark
X (stick label is suitable) well below the top of the liquid, so that the bearing reaches
a steady velocity by the time it reaches X. Fix a second mark Y near the bottom of
the cylinder, and measure the distance l cm between X and Y.
 Time the fall of ball-bearings of varying diameter between the marks X and Y,
having measured the diameter of each in two perpendicular directions with the
micrometer screw-gauge. Note the zero error of the micrometer.
Measure the density of the glycerin with the hydrometer, and its temperature.

c) Measurements
Zero error of micrometer gauge = …. mm
Distance X – Y = l cm = …. Cm

Micrometer Average Time of fall for Terminal a2 (Radius2)

readings diameter X – Y cm, t (s) velocity, v (ms- (m2)
1
(mm) (mm) )
…..

Density of glycerin,  = …. g cm-3 = …. kg m-3

Density of steel,  = …. g cm-3 = …. kg m-3 (from physics tables)
Temperature of glycerin = …. oC

d) Calculation
Calculate the average diameter of each ball-bearing, the square of the radius, a2, in
meter2 and the average terminal velocity v for each bearing in meter second-1. Enter
the result in the table of measurements.

e) Graph
Plot a graph of a2 and v and draw the best line passing through the origin (Fig.2).
calculate the gradient, c/d.
a2

c
d
0 v
Fig.2

f) Calculation of Viscosity
4
The terminal velocity v is such that the apparent weight 3 𝜋𝑎3 (𝜌 − 𝜎)𝑔 is equal to
the viscous drag 6𝜋𝜂𝑎𝑣 . Thus, the viscosity  is given by:
 2 𝑎2 2
(
𝜂 = ∙𝑔 𝜌− 𝜎 ) = ∙ 𝑔(𝜌 − 𝜎) × (𝑐 ⁄𝑑 ) = ⋯
9 𝑣 9
In SI units, g = 9,8 m s-2,  and  are in kg m-3, c is in m2, and d is in m s-1.

a) Questions

1. What can you conclude about measuring viscosity by Stokes’s Law?

2. Explain the errors of this experiment!

3. Calculate the percentage errors (the order of accuracy) of this experiment!