Terminal
Velocity
How Density & Shape Affect
Objects Falling in Water
Class 11 Physics Project
🎯 Aim of the Project
To investigate how the density and shape of various objects
affect their terminal velocity when falling through water,
and to verify S tokes' L aw experimentally.
We will measure the time taken for different objects to fall
through a fixed distance of water and compare their
velocities to understand the relationship between physical
properties (density, size, shape) and terminal velocity.
K ey Questions: How does object density affect falling
speed? Does shape matter? Can we predict terminal
velocity using S tokes' Law formula?
📚 Theory: What is
Terminal Velocity?
Terminal velocity is the constant maximum speed at which
an object falls through a fluid when all forces acting on it are
balanced (net force = 0).
Three forces act on a falling object:
• Weight (W): Gravitational force pulling object
downward (constant)
• Drag Force (F): Fluid resistance opposing motion
(increases with speed)
• Buoyancy (F): Upward force from displaced fluid
(constant)
⚗️ Stokes' Law & Formula
For a sphere falling through a viscous fluid at low speeds:
v = [2r²(ρ - σ )g] / 9η
Parameters:
• r = radius of object (cm)
• ρ = density of object (g/cm³)
• σ = density of fluid (g/cm³)
• η = dynamic viscosity of fluid (Poise)
• g = acceleration due to gravity (980 cm/s²)
🔬 Apparatus Required
• 🥛 Glass cylinder/gas jar: 2 liters minimum (tall &
transparent)
• 💧 Water + wetting agent: Distilled water + 1-2
drops of dish soap
• 🥛🥛 S topwatch: Digital timer with 0.01s precision (or
smartphone stopwatch)
• ⚪ Test objects: S teel spheres (d=1-2 cm), glass
beads, plastic beads, wooden beads
• 📏 Measuring tape: 30-50 cm ruler with clear
markings
• ✏️ Marker: Chinagraph pencil or masking tape for
marking cylinder
• ⚖️ Balance/Scale: Electronic balance (±0.1g
🎬 Procedure: Setup
• Fill cylinder: Pour distilled water into glass jar until
it's 90% full
• Add wetting agent: Add 1-2 drops of dish soap to
prevent objects sticking to walls
• Mark intervals: Use chinagraph pencil to mark
horizontal lines at 10 cm intervals (minimum 30-40
cm distance)
• Record distance: Measure & note exact vertical
distance D between two marked lines (e.g., 20 cm)
• Measure objects: For each object, measure: mass
(g), diameter (cm) with calipers
• Record conditions: Note water temperature &
viscosity value for reference
📊 Procedure: Taking
Readings
• Drop object gently from rest at the top mark
• Start stopwatch when object passes first marked
line
• Stop stopwatch when it reaches second marked
line
• Record time in observation table
• Repeat 3 times for each object
• Calculate: v = D/t
📋 Observations & Data
📏 Distance = 10 cm = 0.1 m
✅ E x pected Results
(Density)
How density affects falling speed:
• S teel ball (ρ = 7.8 g/cm³): Falls fastest ~40-50
cm/s
• Glass bead (ρ = 2.5 g/cm³): Medium speed ~20-
30 cm/s
• Plastic bead (ρ = 1 .2 g/cm³): S lowest ~10-15 cm/s
• Wood ball (ρ = 0.8 g/cm³): May float or fall very
slowly
📊 E x pected Results (Size
& Shape)
S ize and shape effects:
• S ize matters: v ∝ r² (larger objects fall much
faster)
• S hape effect: S pheres (least drag) > cubes >
irregular shapes
• Drag coefficient: Lower C means higher terminal
velocity
• B uoyancy: Objects less dense than water
experience upward force
🥛 Sample Calculations
Example: Steel ball with r = 0.5 cm
Given: r = 0.5 cm, ρ = 7.8 g/cm³, σ = 1 .0 g/cm³, η = 0.01 Poise,
g = 980 cm/s²
F ormula: v = [2r²(ρ - σ)g] / 9η
R es ult: v ≈ 46.4 cm/s ✓
Compare calculated values with experimental results to
verify Stokes' Law!
📈 Analysis: Velocity vs
Density
Expected Graph Pattern:
X-axis: Object Density (g/cm³)
Y-axis: Terminal Velocity (cm/s)
Pattern: Linear relationship (velocity increases with
🎓 Conclusion
This experiment demonstrates that terminal velocity
depends critically on object density, size, and shape. Higher
density and larger radius increase terminal velocity, while
shape affects drag coefficient. These findings confirm
S tokes' law and show how drag forces balance gravity in
fluids.
⚠️ Sources of Error
• ⏱⏱ Reaction time: Delay in starting/stopping
stopwatch (±0.1–0.2s)
• 📍 Object position: Not at center of cylinder
increases drag
• 🥛 Water temperature: Viscosity changes with
temperature (±2–3%)
• 💨 Air bubbles: Can affect object motion and
buoyancy
✔️ Precautions
• ✓ Drop objects from same height each time
• ✓ Allow object to reach terminal velocity before
timing (first 15 cm)
• ✓ Use distance markers ≥10 cm apart for accurate
timing
• ✓ Clean objects before each drop to remove
dust/droplets
• ✓ Repeat measurements 3+ times for each object
• ✓ Maintain constant water temperature
• ✓ Handle glassware carefully to avoid breaking
🌍 Real-Life Applications
• ⏱ Raindrops: Terminal velocity ~9 m/s determines
rainfall patterns
• ⏱ Parachutes: Increased drag reduces terminal
velocity for safe landing
• 🏭 Industrial: Particle sedimentation in water
treatment plants
• 🔬 Biology: Millikan oil drop experiment measures
electron charge
• ⏱ Geology: S ettling of sediment in water
determines landscape formation
📚 B ibliography &
References
• NCERT Physics Textbook (Class 11) - Chapter on
Mechanics & Fluid Motion
• Concepts of Physics by H.C. Verma - Terminal
Velocity & Stokes' Law
• Vedantu Online - Stokes' Law and Terminal
Velocity Explained
• IOP Spark (Institute of Physics) - Falling through
water experiment guide
• [Link] - Terminal Velocity Practice
Problems & Solutions
🙏 Thank
Questions &You!
Discussion Welcome
Understanding the physics of motion through fluids 🌊
