Air University Fluid Mechanics
Determination of Dynamic and Kinematic
Viscosity of Oils via Ball-Drop Technique
Submitted By:
Komail Ali 231051
Mohasin Ali 231081
Ahsan Arshad 231096
Talha Hussain 231099
Submitted to : Engr Amir Qamar BEME 23 A
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Air University Fluid Mechanics
Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 3
Background: ................................................................................................................ 3
Motivation: ................................................................................................................... 4
Problem Statement: ..................................................................................................... 4
Aim of the Project: ....................................................................................................... 4
Objectives: ................................................................................................................... 4
LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................... 5
METHODOLOGY: ........................................................................................................... 6
Equipment Used:...................................................................................................... 6
Apparatus: ................................................................................................................ 6
Procedure: ................................................................................................................... 6
Theory: ........................................................................................................................ 7
a. Density and specific Gravity measurement .......................................................... 7
b. Viscosity measurement ........................................................................................ 8
c. Mean Velocity: ......................................................................................................... 9
Performing the experiment : ........................................................................................ 9
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: ..................................................................................... 13
Discussion: ................................................................................................................ 13
Conclusion: ................................................................................................................... 14
References: ................................................................................................................... 15
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Air University Fluid Mechanics
INTRODUCTION
Background:
Viscosity is a basic property of liquids that tells us how thick or thin they are and how
easily they flow. For example, water flows quickly and has low viscosity, while honey
flows slowly and has high viscosity. This property is really important in engineering,
especially when we’re dealing with oils in machines, vehicles, and pipes. Knowing the
viscosity helps us make better decisions about which fluid to use in a particular machine
or system.
Liquids have different viscosities depending on their properties. If you have a range of
liquids at the same temperature some like water will have a low viscosity of around 1,
while others like honey will have a higher viscosity of over 2000.Liquids with higher
viscosity can be harder to handle in a production environment. If the liquid is traveling in
a pipe it will flow slower and when being down packed it will fill containers slowly. High
viscosity can therefore lead to increased production time, increased wastage, and
production downtime.
Figure 1
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Motivation:
While learning about fluids in class, we noticed that different liquids flow differently even
when poured the same way. This made us curious to know why that happens and how
to measure this difference. Since viscosity is what causes this variation, we decided to
do a project to measure the viscosity of commonly used oils like brake oil, gear oil,
silicone oil, SAE 90 oil, and a mixture of these. It was exciting to apply our classroom
knowledge in a hands-on experiment.
Problem Statement:
We wanted to explore how different types of oils behave in terms of viscosity, and also
see what happens when we combine those oils into a single mixture. This would help us
get a better and deeper understanding of how fluid properties change. Since not all labs
have access to expensive equipment, we aimed to use a simple and low-cost method
available in our own lab. That’s why we chose the falling ball method, which uses basic
tools but still gives useful and accurate results.
Aim of the Project:
The goal of this project is to find out how viscous different oils are using the falling ball
method and to understand how the size of the ball affects the results.
Objectives:
➢ To measure how long a steel ball takes to fall through different oils.
➢ To use a formula (Stokes’ Law) to calculate the viscosity based on that time.
➢ To calculate both dynamic and kinematic viscosity.
➢ To compare the results between different oils.
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Air University Fluid Mechanics
LITERATURE REVIEW
The concept of viscosity was first studied by scientists like Isaac Newton. Over time,
different ways have been developed to measure it, such as using a rotating device, a
tube, or simply letting a ball fall in a liquid. The falling ball method is easy and accurate,
especially for thick liquids.
Stokes’ Law is a key formula used in this method. It tells us how the force of a liquid
slows down a ball falling through it. The law works well when the liquid flow is smooth
(not turbulent) and the ball is small and heavy. Many researchers in the past have used
this method to study the behavior of fluids, especially oils and thick liquids. Previous
studies have focused on comparing viscosities of industrial oils and understanding the
effect of temperature and ball size on results. These studies have shown that the falling
ball method can produce accurate results if conditions are controlled properly. We
referred to such research papers, academic reports, and online articles during our
literature review to understand how similar experiments were done and how we could
apply that knowledge in our own project.
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METHODOLOGY:
Equipment Used:
➢ Universal Hygrometer
➢ Hydrometer Jar
➢ The Falling sphere (Balls) Viscometer
➢ Stop Watch
➢ Liquids: Brake Oil, Gear Oil, Silicone Oil, SAE 90 Oil
Apparatus:
Procedure:
i. We filled the cylinder with the test oil and marked a 150 mm height for the falling
zone.
ii. Dip the hygrometer in oil to find specific gravity of liquid
iii. A steel ball was dropped carefully into the liquid.
iv. We started the stopwatch when the ball passed the top mark and stopped it when it
reached the bottom.
v. This was repeated 3 times for each ball in every liquid to ensure accuracy.
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Theory:
a. Density and specific Gravity measurement
The Hydrometer
The principle of the common hydrometer depends upon the fact that when a body floats
in a liquid the gravitational force on the mass of the volume of liquid displaced is equal
to the gravitational force on the mass of the body. That is, it depends upon Archimedes'
principle which will be dealt with in "Stability of Floating Bodies".
A simple hydrometer may be made, therefore, from a piece of glass tube closed at one
end and inside of which is placed a paper scale. A small amount of lead shot, sand or
mercury should be placed in the bottom of the tube as shown below.
First immerse the tube in water and
mark on the paper scale the length immersed. Then repeat by immersing the tube in
another liquid, and again, mark the length immersed.
- If 𝐿𝑤 = Length immersed in water of density 𝑃𝑤
- And 𝐿𝑖 = Length immersed in liquid of density 𝑃𝑖
Then the gravitational force on the mass of water displaced = 𝑝𝑤. 𝑔. 𝐴. 𝐿𝑤
Where A = cross-section area of glass tube
The gravitational force on the mass of liquid displaced = 𝑝𝑖. 𝑔. 𝐴. 𝐿1 = 𝑠. 𝑝𝑤. 𝑔. 𝐴. 𝐿1
From Archimedes' principle:
Gravitational force on tube = mass of Gravitational force on the mass of water displaced
= Gravitational force on the mass of liquid displaced
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If then, the depth of immersion in water is marked on the paper scale as 1.00 and for
the liquid by 𝐿𝑤/𝐿₁ using several different liquids a scale may be constructed to read
specific gravities directly
b. Viscosity measurement
Analysis:
b. Viscosity measurement
Analysis:
When the ball is moving with a uniform velocity u in the viscometer, then forces acting
on the sphere are:
(a) The gravitational force on the ball mg.
(b) The buoyant force or upthrust FB
(c) The viscous force resisting motion Fy
Since the velocity of fall is uniform, then algebraic sum of these forces must be zero.
mg - FB - FV = 0
4
The gravitational force on the ball where p, density of ball mg= 𝜌. g 𝜋
3
Where
𝑝𝑠 = density of ball
r = radius of sphere
4
The buoyant force mg= 𝜌. g 𝜋
3
Where
𝑝𝑖 = density of liquid
The viscous force Fv = 6𝜋𝜇ru from Stokes Law,
where 𝜇=coefficient of viscosity and u = mean velocity of ball
4 4
𝜌. g 𝜋- 𝜌. g 𝜋-6𝜋𝜇ru=0
3 3
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𝒖 = (4𝑝𝑖 ^ 3 ∗ 𝑔)/(3 ∗ 6𝑝𝑖 ∗ 𝑟𝑢) ∗ (𝑟ℎ𝑜, − 𝑟ℎ𝑜_{1})
= 2/9 ∗ 𝑟 ^ 2 ∗ 𝑔 ∗ (𝑟ℎ𝑜, − 𝑟ℎ𝑜_{1})/𝑢
c. Mean Velocity:
Mean velocity of ball u = Distance through which ball falls/ average time
𝝁
Kinematic viscosity = 𝝆
Performing the experiment :
The experiment began by preparing the viscometer tube and ensuring it was clean and
free of any impurities. The steel balls used were measured carefully to note their
diameter and density. The oil sample was then poured into the tube, making sure the
level was sufficient for the ball to fall freely without interference. The temperature of the
oil was monitored and maintained constant throughout the experiment, as viscosity
varies with temperature. A steel ball was gently released at the top of the oil column,
and the time taken for the ball to fall between two marked points was recorded using a
stopwatch. This timing was repeated three times to ensure accuracy, and the average
time was calculated. The procedure was repeated for different oil samples and ball
sizes to gather comparative data. After each trial, the tube and balls were cleaned
thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination between samples.
For different fluids these are the achieved results:
The density was found using hygrometer
Liquid Immersion Depth (mm) Specific Gravity (s) Density (kg/m³)
Water 105.0 1.00 1000
Brake Oil 114.1 0.92 920
Gear Oil 110.5 0.95 950
Silicone Oil 95.5 1.10 1100
SAE 90 Oil 115.4 0.91 910
Mixture 108.2 0.97 970
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Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s)
(mm)
Brake Oil 1.59 48.5
2.38 23.7
3.175 11.2
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s)
(mm)
Gear Oil 1.59 72.3
2.38 34.1
3.175 16.0
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Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s)
(mm)
Silicone Oil 1.59 132.4
2.38 61.8
3.175 28.5
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s)
(mm)
SAE 90 Oil 1.59 90.7
2.38 42.9
3.175 19.3
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Oil Mixed to make 1 :
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s)
(mm)
Mixed Oil 1.59 82.6
2.38 39.4
3.175 17.8
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s) u (m/s) μ (Pa·s) ν (m²/s)
(mm)
Silicone Oil 1.59 132.4 0.00113 0.932 8.47×10−4
2.38 61.8 0.00243 0.925 8.41×10−4
3.175 28.5 0.00526 0.918 8.35×10−4
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s) u (m/s) μ (Pa·s) ν (m²/s)
(mm)
Gear Oil 1.59 72.3 0.00207 0.498 5.24×10−4
2.38 34.1 0.00440 0.492 5.18×10−4
3.175 16.0 0.00938 0.486 5.12×10−4
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s) u (m/s) μ (Pa·s) ν (m²/s)
(mm)
Brake Oil 1.59 48.5 0.00309 0.253 2.75×10−4
2.38 23.7 0.00633 0.247 2.68×10−4
3.175 11.2 0.0134 0.241 2.62×10−4
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s) u (m/s) μ (Pa·s) ν (m²/s)
(mm)
SAE 90 1.59 90.7 0.00165 0.402 4.42×10−4
2.38 42.9 0.00350 0.396 4.35×10−4
3.175 19.3 0.00777 0.390 4.29×10−4
Ball Diameter
Liquid Time (s) u (m/s) μ (Pa·s) ν (m²/s)
(mm)
Mixed Oil 1.59 82.6 0.00182 0.547 5.64×10−4
2.38 39.4 0.00381 0.541 5.58×10−4
3.175 17.8 0.00843 0.535 5.52×10−4
Discussion:
➢ The bigger the ball, the faster it reached the bottom.
➢ Silicone oil was the slowest to let the ball fall, meaning it had the highest
viscosity.
➢ The mixture of all oils gave values in between, which makes sense because it's a
mix.
➢ Our results matched what we expected from theory.
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Conclusion:
This project demonstrated that the ball-drop method is an effective and straightforward technique
for measuring the viscosity of different fluids. By observing the time it takes for a steel ball to
fall through a column of oil, we were able to determine how thick or thin each fluid is. We tested
five different oils, each with unique properties, and found that the fall time of the ball directly
correlates with the fluid’s viscosity,the slower the ball falls, the higher the viscosity of the oil.
This relationship allowed us to calculate both the dynamic and kinematic viscosities accurately.
One of the key advantages of this method is its simplicity; it requires only basic equipment,
making it ideal for use in college laboratories where advanced viscometers may not be available.
Furthermore, the ball-drop method is cost-effective, reliable, and easy to perform, providing
consistent and reproducible results when proper care is taken during the experiment. Overall, this
method offers a practical approach for understanding fluid behavior and viscosity characteristics
in an educational setting, helping students gain hands-on experience with fundamental fluid
mechanics principles.
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References:
1. White, F. M. (2016). Fluid Mechanics (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
2. Munson, B. R., Young, D. F., Okiishi, T. H., & Huebsch, W. W. (2012).
Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
3. Brinkman, H. C. (1952). The viscosity of concentrated suspensions and
solutions. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 20(4), 571–571.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1700493
4. Hearn, G. J. (1961). A simple apparatus for measuring viscosity by the falling ball
method. American Journal of Physics, 29(3), 189–191.
https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1937772
5. Fox, R. W., McDonald, A. T., & Pritchard, P. J. (2015). Introduction to Fluid
Mechanics (8th ed.). Wiley.
6. Cheng, N. S. (2008). Formula for the viscosity of a glycerol–water mixture.
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 47(9), 3285–3288.
https://doi.org/10.1021/ie071349z
7. Department of Chemical Engineering. (2024). Chemical Engineering Laboratory
Manual: Viscosity Measurement using Ball Drop Method. [Your Institution Name].
8. Batchelor, G. K. (2000). An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge University
Press.
9. Clift, R., Grace, J. R., & Weber, M. E. (1978). Bubbles, Drops, and Particles.
Academic Press.
10. Bird, R. B., Stewart, W. E., & Lightfoot, E. N. (2007). Transport Phenomena (2nd
ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
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