American University of Ras Al Khaimah

Experiment (1)

Fluid Properties Apparatus

Instructor: Nazik Abdullahi Mohamed Ahmed Abdulla

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Equipment Diagram:

1- Thermometer
2- Two Hydrometer jars
3- Aneroid Barometer
4- Capillary tubes
5- Universal hydrometer
6- Capillary plates
7- Beaker
8- Displacement Vessel for Archimedes exercise

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9- Measuring cylinder
10- Two falling sphere viscometers
11- Circular Spirit Level
12- Archimedes bucket and cylinder
The apparatus consists of a collection of components that demonstrate individual
fluid properties.
Exercise A - Liquid density / specific gravity using a hydrometer and pycnometer
Objective:
To determine the density of various liquids by measuring the relative density
(specific gravity) using a universal hydrometer and pycnometer
Theory
Density: The density of any fluid is defined as the mass per unit volume
𝑀
𝑀=
𝑀
𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
M= Mass of the fluid (kg)
L= Volume of the fluid (m3 )
Hydrometer:
Method:
By measuring the temperature and specific gravity of a liquid and calculating the
density of the liquid from the known density of water at that temperature
Equipment Required:
Universal Hydrometer 2 Hydrometer Jars Thermometer Suitable liquids for
testing
Specific gravity / relative density: The specific gravity or relative density of a fluid
is defined as the mass of a given volume of a fluid divided by the mass of the
same volume of water

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 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝑀=
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
S= Specific gravity or relative density
(𝑀𝑀)𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝑀= =
(𝑀𝑀)𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 = 𝑀 × 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
To measure the (s) Hydrometer is used:
The hydrometer is a simple tool that allows the specific gravity and hence the
density of a liquid to be determined relatively quickly.
𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦states that the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body
immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the
weight of the fluid that the body displaces and acts in the upward direction at
the center of mass of the displaced fluid, in other words 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

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Procedure:
Fill one Hydrometer jar with clean water and fill the other jar with a different
liquid such as glycerol. The depth of liquid should be sufficient to allow the
Hydrometer to float insert the hydrometer in the water jar it should measure
1 on the SG scale and then insert the hydrometer in the other fluid jar read the
SG from the scale.

The density of water is usually taken to be 1000 kg/m3. However, the actual
density varies with temperature as follows:

Temperature Density of the

(°C) water(kg/m3)
4 999.97
10 999.7
20 998.2
25 997.05
30 995.65
40 992.2
60 983.2

Collected Data:
Density
Liquid Temperature Hydrometer Kg/m3
(gm/ml)
Water 1
Fluid

Pycnometer:
Method:

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 By measuring the change in weight of a density bottle filled with the liquid to be
tested then calculating the density from the known volume and increase in
weight.
Equipment Required:
50 ml Gay-Lussac Pycnometer
Weigh balance

𝑀𝑀+𝑀 − 𝑀𝑀
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 =
𝑀𝑀
MP = Mass of the pycnometer
MF+P = Mass of the fluid and pycnometer
VP = volume of the pycnometer 50ml
Procedure:
Ensure that pycnometer is dry then weigh it, complete with its stopper, and record
the weight. Fill the pycnometer with the liquid to be tested, allow any air bubbles
to rise to the surface then insert the stopper fully. Wipe the outside of the

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pycnometer to remove any spilt liquid then reweigh it and record the weight. If it
is required to measure the density of an alternative liquid then the pycnometer
must be cleaned and dried before repeating the procedure.
Collected Data:
MP MF+P MF VP 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
50 ml

Exercise B - Solid density / specific gravity using a pycnometer

Objective:
The objective of this experiment is to measure the density and relative density of three
different sphere pycnometer.
Method:
By inserting the sphere of known weight, into the pycnometer and measuring the
change in weight of the pycnometer without water then by filling with water. The
difference in weight ofpycnometeris used to determine the volume of the sphere which helps
to calculate its density.
Equipment used:
- 50 ml Gay-Lussac Pycnometer
- Lever operated balance
- Spheres
- Water

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Mass of dry solid /granular material = MS gm
Dry weight of empty pycnometer = MP gm
Mass of pycnometer filled with liquid only = MP+L gm
Mass of liquid = ML = MP+L – MP gm
Volume of pycnometer (volume of liquid) = VP = 50 ml
Density of liquid = ρL = ML / VP gm/ml
Mass of pycnometer with liquid and solid = MP+L+S gm
Mass of liquid displaced = MLdisp = MP+L + MS –MP+L+S = gm
Volume of liquid displaced (Volume of solid) = VLdisp = MLdisp / ρL ml
Density of solid = ρS = MS / VLdisp gm/ml (kg/m3)

Procedure:
The density of the spheres used in the measurement of viscosity. We should keep
pycnometer is dry then weigh it, complete with its stopper, and record the
mass MP (gm). Fill the pycnometer with clean water or alternative liquid as
required, allow any air bubbles to rise to the surface then insert the stopper
fully. Wipe the outside of the pycnometer to remove any spilt liquid then
reweigh it and record the mass MP+L

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 (gm). Weigh the solid or granular material to be measured and record the mass MS
gm. Remove the stopper the carefully insert the solid or granular material into the
pycnometer, displacing liquid from the pycnometer. Replace the stopper, dry the
outside of the pycnometer then reweigh the pycnometer and record the mass
MP+L+S gm.

Exercise C - Liquid viscosity using a falling sphere viscometer

Objective:
To measure the viscosity of various liquids at atmospheric temperature and
pressure using a Falling Sphere Viscometer.
Method:
By timing the fall of different sized spheres through a given depth of the liquid to
be tested then calculating the viscosity from the mean velocity.

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 - the gravitational force on the ball mg
- the buoyant force or Up-thrust FB
- the viscous force resisting motion FV
mg= FB + FV
mg- FB + FV=0

𝑀
𝑀=
𝑀
𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀
4 3
𝑀𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀 𝑀
𝑀𝑀 3
𝑀𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀 𝑀ℎ 𝑀
𝑀𝑀ℎ 𝑀𝑀𝑀

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FB = 𝑀𝑀𝑀 3
3
𝑀𝑀
𝑀𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀 𝑀ℎ 𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
FV = 6𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 from stokes law
𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
u=mean velocity of the ball =
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

an expression describing the resisting force on a particle moving through a

viscous fluid and showing that a maximum velocity is reached in such
cases, e.g. for an object falling under gravity through a fluid.
4 3 4 3
𝑀𝑀 𝑀 𝑀𝑀 − 𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀 − 6𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 = 0
3 3 6𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 =
4 3 𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀
3
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 4 3
− 𝑀𝑀 𝑀 𝑀𝑀
3

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 2 2 𝑀 (𝑀 − )
𝑀= 𝑀
9 𝑀 𝑀 𝑀

Diameters of spheres:
- Small 1.5875mm
- Medium 2.38125mm
- Large 3.175mm
Drop balls of different diameters, one at a time through the funnel at the top of the
viscometer and time the fall between the marks on the wall of the viscometer.
Repeat each measurement three times to obtain an average timing for each
diameter of ball. Repeat the measurements for each size of ball falling through the
liquid in the second viscometer. Note that with liquids of low viscosity the larger
spheres cannot be used because the fall time will be too short to obtain accurate
results. A smaller size ball could be used to increase the fall time but observation
of the sphere through the liquid would then be difficult.
𝑀
Calculate the Kinematic viscosity 𝑀=
𝑀

Exercise E - Capillary elevation in capillary tubes:

Objective:
To measure the effect of capillary elevation inside capillary tubes
Method:
By immersing tubes with different capillary bore diameters into water and
comparing the elevation of the level inside the tubes due to surface tension
Equipment Required:
- Glass capillary tubes in frame
- Pencil
- waterproof card(cut to size to fit behind capillary tubes)

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Theory:
When a tube with a small bore is inserted into a container of liquid, the level will
either rise or fall within the tube as shown in the diagram depending on the angle
of contact between the liquid surfaces.

Considering the water, the gravitational force on the column of liquid elevated
must be supported by the surface tension 𝑀, acting round the capillary tube.
𝑀𝑀2
𝑀𝑀ℎ = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
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𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 = 1 𝑀ℎ 𝑀𝑀 𝑀ℎ 𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀𝑀 𝑀ℎ 𝑀 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑀 = 0

𝑀𝑀2
𝑀𝑀ℎ = 𝑀𝑀𝑀
4

𝑀
ℎ =4
𝑀𝑀𝑀
Procedure:
Observe the level of the water in each of the tubes, the water level rises slightly
due to surface tension in the water. Make sure the capillary tubes are thoroughly

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clean then rinse in clean water to remove all traces of detergent. Fill the water
trough to the level of the bottom support plate and insert the capillary tubes.
Observe that the water level inside each of the tubes rises, reducing bore sizes
producing more elevation. Place a card behind the capillary tubes. Mark the card
with the height of the capillary elevation in each tube. With a pair of dividers,
measure the capillary rise “h” for each diameter of tube and record the
measurements.
Results:
- First you will read the measurement of h that is marked on the card
- Calculate the theoretical capillary rise for each diameter of tube using the
equation
Where the Surface tension of water 𝑀 = .072N/m at 25°C

Tube (mm) Measured calculated

0.5
0.8
1.1
1.7
2
2.2

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