Viscosity
- Viscosity is the property of a fluid that resists the force tending to cause the fluid to flow.
- It is analogous to friction in solids.
- Example:-
- Consider 2 glasses one filled with water and the other filled with honey.
- Water will flow down the glass very rapidly whereas honey won’t.This is because honey is more viscous than water.
- Therefore in order to make honey flow we need to apply greater amount of force. Because honey has the property to resist the motion.
- Viscosity comes into play when there is relative motion between the layers of the fluid.The different layers are not moving at the same pace.
Coefficient of Viscosity
- Coefficient of viscosity is the measure of degree to which a fluid resists flow under an applied force.
- This means how much resistance does a fluid have to its motion.
- Ratio of shearing stress to the strain rate.
- It is denoted by ‘η’.
- Mathematically
- Δt=time , displacement =Δx
- Therefore,
- shearing stress =Δx/l where l= length
- Strain rate=Δx/lΔt
- η=shearing stress/strain rate
- (F/A)/(Δx/lΔt) = (Fl)/vA where Δx/t=v
- Therefore η=(Fl)/ vA
- I. Unit:- Poiseiulle (PI)/Pa/Nsm-2
- Dimensional Formula: [ML-1T-1]


Answer:-
The metal block moves to the rightbecause of the tension in the string. The tension
T is equal in magnitude to the weight of thesuspended mass m. Thus the shear force F is
F = T = mg = 0.010 kg × 9.8 ms–2 = 9.8 × 10-2 N
Shear stress on the fluid = F/A =9.8 x10–2/0.10
Strain rate =v/l =0.085/0.030
η= stress/strain rate
= (9.8×10-2x 0.30 x10-3m)/ (0.085ms-1x0.10m2)
= 3.45 × 10-3 Pa s
Stokes Law
- The force that retards a sphere moving through a viscous fluid is directly ∝to the velocity and the radius of the sphere, and the viscosity of the fluid.
- Mathematically:-F =6πηrv where
- Let retarding force F∝v where v =velocity of the sphere
- F ∝ r where r=radius of the sphere
- F∝η where η=coefficient of viscosity
- 6π=constant
- Stokes law is applicable only to laminar flow of liquids.It is not applicable to turbulent law.
- Example:-Falling raindrops
- Consider a single rain drop, when rain drop is falling it is passing through air.
- The air has some viscosity; there will be some force which will try to stop the motion of the rain drop.
- Initially the rain drop accelerates but after some time it falls with constant velocity.
- As the velocity increases the retarding force also increases.
- There will be viscous force Fv and bind force Fbacting in the upward direction.There will also be Fggravitational force acting downwards.
- After some time Fg = Fr (Fv+Fb)
- Net Force is 0. If force is 0 as a result acceleration also becomes 0.
- Let retarding force F∝v where v =velocity of the sphere

Terminal Velocity
- Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity of a body moving through a viscous fluid.
- It is attained when force of resistance of the medium is equal and opposite to the force of gravity.
- As the velocity is increasing the retarding force will also increase and a stage will come when the force of gravity becomes equal to resistance force.
- After that point velocity won’t increase and this velocity is known as terminal velocity.
- It is denoted by ‘vt’.Wheret=terminal.
- Mathematically:-
- Terminal velocity is attained when Force of resistance = force due to gravitational attraction.
- 6πηrv =mg
- 6πηrv = densityxVg (Because density=m/V), density=ρ – σ where ρ and σ are the densities of the sphere and the viscous medium resp.
- 6πηrv = (ρ – σ)x4/3πr3g where Volume of the sphere(V) =4/3πr3
- By simplifying
- =(ρ – σ)gx4/3r2x1/(6η)
- vt =2r2(ρ – σ)g/9 η .This is the terminal velocity. Where(v=vt)

Problem: The terminal velocity of acopper ball of radius 2.0 mm fallingthrough a tank of oil at 20oC is 6.5 cm s-1.Compute the viscosity of the oil at 20oC.Density of oil is 1.5 × 103 kg m-3, density of
copper is 8.9 × 103 kg m-3.
Answer:-
Given: – vt = 6.5 × 10-2 ms-1, a = 2 × 10-3 m,g = 9.8 ms-2, ρ = 8.9 × 103 kg m-3,
σ =1.5 × 103 kg m-3. From Equation: -vt =2r2 (ρ – σ) g/9 η
=2/9(2 x10-3 m2 x 9.8ms-2/ 6.5×10-2ms-1) x 7.4 103 kgm-3
=9.9 x 10-1 kgm-1s-1
Problem: Calculate the terminal velocity in air of an oil drop of radius 2×105 m from the following data g=9.8m/s2; coefficient of viscosity of air =1.8×10-5Pas; density of oil=900kg/m3.The up thrust of air may be neglected?
Answer:
Radius r =2×10-5 m
g=9.8m/s2
η=1.8×10-5Pas
ρ =900kg/m3
v=vtwhen 6πηrv = mg
6πηrv =ρx4/3r3g
Simplifying: – vt =2r2gρ/9π = (2 x (2×10-5)2x9.8×900)/9×1.8×10-5
=4.36cm/s