1.5 Density Upthrust and Viscous Drag

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Edexcel International A Level Your notes

Physics
Density, Upthrust & Viscous Drag
Contents
1.23 Density
1.24 Upthrust
1.25 Viscous Drag
1.26 Core Practical 2: Investigating Viscosity
Page 1 of 21
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1.23 Density
Your notes
Density
Density is the mass per unit volume of an object
Objects made from low-density materials typically have a lower mass
For example, a balloon is less dense than a small bar of lead despite occupying a larger volume
The units of density depend on the units used for mass and volume:
If the mass is measured in g and volume in cm3, then the density will be in g / cm3
If the mass is measured in kg and volume in m3, then the density will be in kg / m3
Gases are less dense than a solid

The volume of an object may not always be given directly, but can be calculated with the appropriate
equation depending on the object’s shape
Page 2 of 21
Your notes
Volumes of common 3D shapes
Worked example
A paving slab has a mass of 73 kg and dimensions 40 mm × 500 mm × 850 mm.
Calculate the density, in kg m-3 of the material from which the paving slab is made.
Page 3 of 21
Your notes
Exam Tip
When converting a larger unit to a smaller one, you multiply (×)
E.g. 125 m = 125 × 100 = 12 500 cm
When you convert a smaller unit to a larger one, you divide (÷)
E.g. 5 g = 5 / 1000 = 0.005 or 5 × 10-3 kg
When dealing with squared or cubic conversions, cube or square the conversion factor too
E.g. 1 mm3 = 1 / (1000)3 = 1 × 10-9 m3
E.g. 1 cm3 = 1 / (100)3 = 1 × 10-6 m3
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1.24 Upthrust
Your notes
Upthrust
Archimedes' Principle
Archimedes’ principle states:
An object submerged in a fluid at rest has an upward buoyancy force (upthrust) equal to
the weight of the fluid displaced by the object
The object sinks until the weight of the fluid displaced is equal to its own weight
Therefore the object floats when the magnitude of the upthrust equals the weight of the object
The magnitude of upthrust can be calculated in steps by:
Find the volume of the submerged object, which is also the volume of the displaced fluid
Find the weight of the displaced fluid
Since m = ρV (density × volume), upthrust is equal to F = mg which is the weight of the fluid
displaced by the object
Archimedes’ Principle explains how ships float:
Page 5 of 21
Your notes
Boats float because they displace an amount of water that is equal to their weight
Worked example
Atmospheric pressure at sea level has a value of 100 kPa. The density of sea water is 1020 kg m-3.
At what depth in the sea would the total pressure be 250 kPa?
A. 20 m B. 9.5 m C. 18 m D. 15 m
Page 6 of 21
Your notes
Worked example
Icebergs typically float with a large volume of ice beneath the water. Ice has a density of 917 kg m-3 and
a volume of Vi.
The density of seawater is 1020 kg m-3.What fraction of the iceberg is above the water?
A. 0.10 Vi B. 0.90 Vi C. 0.97 Vi D. 0.20 Vi
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Your notes
Page 8 of 21
Your notes
Page 9 of 21
Exam Tip
Your notes
Don't get confused by the two step process to find upthrust.
Step 1: You need the volume of the submerged object, but only because you want to know how
much fluid was displaced
Step 2: What you really want to know is the weight of the displaced fluid.
A couple of familiar equations will help;
m = ρV to get mass (and that's the V from step 1 out of the way),
then
W = mg to get weight
If you are feeling particularly mathematical, you can combine your equations, so that W = ρVg
Page 10 of 21
1.25 Viscous Drag

Your notes
Stoke's Law
Viscous Drag
Viscous drag is defined as
the frictional force between an object and a fluid which opposes the motion between the object and the
fluid
Viscous drag is calculated using Stoke’s Law;
F = 6πηrv
Where
F = viscous drag (N)
η = coefficient of viscosity of the fluid (N s m−2 or Pa s)
r = radius of the object (m)
v = velocity of the object (ms−1)
The viscosity of a fluid can be thought of as its thickness, or how much it resists flowing
Fluids with low viscosity are easy to pour, while those with high viscosity are difficult to pour
Page 11 of 21
Your notes
The coefficient of viscosity is a property of the fluid (at a given temperature) that indicates how much it
will resist flow
The rate of flow of a fluid is inversely proportional to the coefficient of viscosity
Drag Force at Terminal Velocity
Terminal velocity is useful when working with Stoke’s Law since at terminal velocity the forces in each
direction are balanced
Ws = Fd + U (equation 1)
Where;
Ws = weight of the sphere
Fd = the drag force (N)
U = upthrust (N)
Page 12 of 21
Your notes
At terminal velocity forces are balanced: W (downwards) = Fd + U (upwards)

The weight of the sphere is found using volume, density and gravitational force
Ws =vsρsg
4 3
Ws = πr ρ s g (equation 2)
3
Where
vs = volume of the sphere (m3)
ρs = density of the sphere (kg m–3)
g = gravitational force (N kg−1)
Recall Stoke’s Law
Fd = 6πηrvterm (equation 3)
Upthrust equals weight of the displaced fluid
The volume of displaced fluid is the same as the volume of the sphere
The weight of the fluid is found from volume, density and gravitational force as above
4 3
U= πr ρ f g (equation 4)
3
Substitute equations 2, 3 and 4 into equation 1
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4 3 4 3
πr ρ s g = 6πηrv term + πr ρ f g
3 3 Your notes
Rearrange to make terminal velocity the subject of the equation
4
3
πr 3 g(ρ s − ρ f ) 4πr 3 g(ρ s − ρ f )
v term = =
6πηr 18πηr
Finally, cancel out r from the top and bottom to find an expression for terminal velocity in terms of the
radius of the sphere and the coefficient of viscosity
2πr 2g(ρ s − ρ f )
v term =
9πη
This final equation shows that terminal velocity is;

directly proportional to the square of the radius of the sphere
inversely proportional to the viscosity of the fluid
Page 14 of 21
Understanding Viscosity & Stoke's Law

Conditions for Stoke’s Law Equation Your notes
The equation can only be used when certain conditions are met;
The flow is laminar
The object is small
The object is spherical
Motion between the sphere and the fluid is at a slow speed
Laminar and Turbulent Flow

As an object moves through a fluid, or a fluid moves around an object, layers in the fluid are created
In laminar flow all the layers are moving in the same direction and they do not mix
This tends to happen for slow moving objects, or slow flowing liquids
The equation above only applies for laminar flow
In turbulent flow the layers move in different directions and the layers do mix
Page 15 of 21
Your notes
Changing Viscosity
Viscosity is temperature-dependent
Liquids are less viscous as temperature increases
Gases get more viscous as temperature increases
Worked example
A ball bearing of radius 5.0 mm falls at a constant speed of 0.030 ms–1 through a oil which has viscosity
0.3 Pa s and density 900 kg m–3.
Determine the viscous drag acting on the ball bearing.
Step 1: List the known quantities in SI units

Radius of the sphere, rs = 5.0 mm = 5.0 × 10-3 m
Terminal velocity of the sphere, v = 0.03 m s-1
Viscosity of oil, η = 0.3 Pa s
Density of oil, ρf = 900 kg m−3
Step 2: Sketch a free-body diagram to resolve the forces at constant speed
Ws = F d + U
Page 16 of 21
Your notes
Step 3: Calculate the value for viscous drag, Fd

Fd = 6πηrv = 6 × π × 0.3 × 5.0 × 10-3 × 0.03 = 0.008482
Step 4: Write the complete answer to the correct significant figures and include units
The viscous drag, Fd = 8.5 × 10-4 N
Page 17 of 21
Exam Tip
Your notes
You may need to write out some or all of the derivation given in the first part above.
It is really important to keep clear whether you are talking about density of the sphere or the fluid, and
mass of the sphere or the fluid.
Practice using subscripts and do try this at home. It isn’t one to do for the first time in an exam!
Page 18 of 21
1.26 Core Practical 2: Investigating Viscosity

Your notes
Core Practical 2: Investigating Viscosity of a Liquid
Aim of the experiment
By allowing small spherical objects of known weight to fall through a fluid until they reach terminal
velocity, the viscosity of the fluid can be calculated
Variables
Independent variable: weight of ball bearing, Ws
Dependent variable: terminal velocity, vterm
Control variables: fluid being tested, temperature
Equipment List
Long measuring cylinder
Viscous liquid to be tested (thin oil of known density or washing up liquid)
Stand and clamp
Metre rule
Rubber bands
Steel ball bearings of different weights
Digital scales
Vernier calipers
Digital stopwatch
Magnet
Method
1. Weigh the balls, measure their radius using Vernier callipers and calculate their density
2. Place three rubber bands around the tube. The highest should be far enough below the surface of the
liquid to ensure the ball is travelling at terminal velocity when it reaches this band. The remaining two
bands should be 10 – 15 cm apart so that time can be measured accurately
3. Release the ball and wait until it reaches the first rubber band. Start the timer at the first band, then use
the lap timer to find the time to fall d1 and also d2
i. If lap timing is not available, two stopwatches operated by different people should be used
ii. If the ball is still accelerating as it passes the markers, they need to be moved downwards until the
ball has reached terminal velocity before passing the first mark
4. Measure and record the distances d1 (between the highest and middle rubber band) and d2 between
the highest and lowest bands.
5. Repeat at least three times for balls of this diameter and three times for each different diameter
Page 19 of 21
6. Ball bearings are removed from the bottom of the tube using the magnet against the outside wall of
the measuring cylinder
Your notes
Analysis
Terminal velocity is used in this investigation since at terminal velocity the forces in each direction are
balanced
Ws = Fd + U (equation 1)
Where;
Ws = weight of the sphere
Fd = the drag force (N)
U = upthrust (N)
The weight of the sphere is found using volume, density and gravitational force
Ws = v s ρ s g
4 3
Ws = πr ρ s g (equation 2)
3
Where
vs = volume of the sphere (m3)
ρs = density of the sphere (kg m3)
g = gravitational force (N kg−1)
Recall Stoke’s Law
Fd = 6πηrvterm (equation 3)
Upthrust equals the weight of the displaced fluid
The volume of displaced fluid is the same as the volume of the sphere
The weight of the fluid is found from volume, density and gravitational force as above
4 3
U= πr ρ f g (equation 4)
3
Substitute equations 2, 3 and 4 into equation 1
4 3 4 3
πr ρ s g = 6πηrv term + πr ρ f g
3 3
Rearrange to make viscosity the subject of the equation
4 3 4 3
πr ρ s g − πr ρ f g = 6πηrv term
3 3
Page 20 of 21
4πr 3 g (ρ s − ρ f )
=η
3 × ( 6πrv term ) Your notes
2r 2 g (ρ s − ρ f )
η=
9v term
Evaluating the Experiment
Systematic Errors:
Ruler must be clamped vertically and close to the tube to avoid parallax errors in measurement
Ball bearing must reach terminal velocity before the first marker
Random errors:
Cylinder must have a large diameter compared to the ball bearing to avoid the possibility of turbulent
flow
Ball must fall in the centre of the tube to avoid pressure differences caused by being too close to the
wall which will affect the velocity
Safety Considerations
Measuring cylinders are not stable and should be clamped into position at the top and bottom
Spillages will be slippery and must be cleaned up immediately
Avoid getting fluids in the eyes
Page 21 of 21

1.5 Density Upthrust and Viscous Drag

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Edexcel International A Level Your notes

Gases are less dense than a solid

Volumes of common 3D shapes

1.25 Viscous Drag

At terminal velocity forces are balanced: W (downwards) = Fd + U (upwards)

This final equation shows that terminal velocity is;

Understanding Viscosity & Stoke's Law

Laminar and Turbulent Flow

Step 1: List the known quantities in SI units

Step 3: Calculate the value for viscous drag, Fd

1.26 Core Practical 2: Investigating Viscosity

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