PHY023_Physics 2 T 9: Materials (Fluids)

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Tutorial 9 : Materials (Fluids)

1 A ship floating in clear water of density 1000 kgm-3, moves to sea water of density 1050 kgm-3 where it
floats again. The upthrust on the ship then:
A Stays constant
B Decreases
C Increases
D Increases by 0.05 times

2 What is the upthrust on a steel ball of diameter 1.0 cm in water?

𝜌𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑙 = 8100 𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 , 𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 1000 𝑘𝑔𝑚−3
A 3.4 x 10-1 N
B 4.2 x 10-2 N
C 5.1 x 10-3 N
D 2.3 x 10-1 N
3 A ball bearing is dropped through a liquid and its terminal velocity measured. The experiment is
repeated at a different temperature. Which row could correctly describe this second experiment?

4 A table tennis ball is released beneath the surface of water and moves upwards.
The relationship between the forces acting on the ball when it reaches terminal velocity is:
A 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 𝑢𝑝𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡
B 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 + 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑔 = 𝑢𝑝𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡
C 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 𝑢𝑝𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 + 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑔
D 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑔
5 In the expression 𝑭 = 𝟔 𝝅 𝒓  𝒗
A  represents density and 𝒗 represents viscosity.
B 𝒓 represents radius and represents density.
C 𝒓 represents radius and 𝒗 represents viscosity.
D  represents viscosity and 𝒗 represents velocity.

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6 The diagram shows four forces acting on an aeroplane.
The aeroplane is flown at a constant altitude but at an increasing speed. Which of the following pairs of
forces will have the same magnitude?
A drag and weight
B lift and weight
C drag and thrust
D lift and drag

7 A steel ball is released from rest above a cylinder of

liquid, as shown in Figure 3. The ball descends
vertically in the air then in the liquid until it reaches
the bottom of the cylinder.
(a) The vertical distance from the bottom of the ball at
the point where it is released to the liquid surface is
0.16 m.

(i) Calculate the time taken by the ball to fall to the

liquid surface from the point where it is released.
Give your answer to an appropriate number of
significant figures. [3]

(ii) Calculate the velocity, νo, of the ball on reaching the liquid. [2]
(b) Figure 4 below shows how the velocity of the ball changed after it was released.

* Describe and explain how the acceleration of the ball changed after it entered the liquid until it
reached the bottom of the cylinder. [6]
(The quality of your written answer will be assessed in this question.)

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8 A helium-filled balloon on a string is attached to an electric balance. The reading is:

(a) (i) Explain how this shows that the force being exerted on the balance by the balloon is about 0.1 N
upwards. [2]

(ii) The force of upthrust on the balloon is 0.16 N.

Add labelled arrows to identify the other two forces acting on
the balloon and show that the value of weight is about 0.07 N.
[3]

(b) The balloon is given to a child. The child holds the balloon by the string
and walks at a constant speed. The balloon trails at an angle of 43° to the
vertical as shown.
(i) Add labelled arrows to identify the other forces acting on the balloon in
this situation. Values are not required. [2]
(ii) Write an expression for the vertical component of the tension in the string. [1]
(iii) By considering the vertical forces acting on the balloon, calculate the tension
in the string in this situation. [2]

(c) The child walks faster. The new angle of the balloon and string is
shown below. Explain the change in angle. [2]

13. A skydiver accelerates towards the ground at 9.81 m s–2 at the

instant that he leaves the aeroplane.

(a) Explain why his acceleration will decrease as he continues to

fall. (2)

(b) The skydiver opens his parachute. Explain why he reaches a terminal velocity shortly
afterwards. (2)

(c) The velocity at which he then hits the ground is similar to that achieved when falling freely
from a height of 3 m. Calculate this velocity. (2)
(Total 6 marks)
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16. A raindrop has a radius of 0.70 mm. It is falling at terminal velocity through air.

(a) Show that the mass of the raindrop is approximately 1× 10–6 kg.

Density of water = 1000 kg m–3. (2)

(b) Ignoring any upthrust on the raindrop, calculate its terminal velocity.

Viscosity of air = 8.90 × 10–4 kg m–1 s–1. (2)

(Total 4 marks)

39. A child’s birthday balloon is filled with helium to make it rise. A ribbon is tied to it, holding a small
plastic mass designed to prevent the balloon from floating away.

Plastic mass

(a) Add labelled arrows to the diagram of the balloon to show the forces acting on the balloon.

(b) The balloon is approximately a sphere, of diameter 30 cm. Show that the upthrust on the
balloon is about 0.2 N.

The density of the surrounding air r = 1.30 kg m–3 (3)

(c) The ribbon is cut and the balloon begins to rise slowly.

(i) Sketch a diagram to show the airflow around the balloon as it rises.

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(ii) What is the name of this type of airflow?

(d) A student suggests that if the balloon reaches terminal velocity, its motion could be described
by the relationship

4 3
mg + 6πrην = πr g
3

where η = viscosity of air, m = mass of the balloon, r = radius of the balloon and v = the terminal
velocity reached.

(i) Write the above relationship as a word equation. (1)

(ii) The balloon has a total weight of 0.17 N. Use the equation given above to calculate the
corresponding value for the terminal velocity of the balloon.

Viscosity of air = 1.8 × 10–5 N s m–2 (3)

(iii) Suggest a reason why the balloon is not likely to reach this calculated velocity. (1)
(Total 12 marks)

50. Volcanoes vary considerably in the strength of their eruptions. A major factor in determining the
severity of the eruption is the viscosity of the magma material. Magma with a high viscosity acts as a plug
in the volcano allowing very high pressures to build up. When the volcano finally erupts it is very
explosive. Once magma is out of the volcano it is called lava.

(a) How would the flow of high viscosity lava differ from that of lava with a low viscosity?

(b) What would need to be measured to make a simple comparison between the viscosities of two
lava flows?

(c) When the lava is exposed to the atmosphere it cools rapidly. What effect would you
expect this cooling to have on the lava’s viscosity?

(d) When lava is fast flowing, changes to its viscosity disrupt the flow, making it no longer laminar.
Use labelled diagrams to show the difference between laminar and turbulent flow.

(e) Different types of lava have different viscosities. The least viscous type has a viscosity of about

1 × 103 Ns m–2 whereas a silica-rich lava has a viscosity of 1 × 108 Ns m–2.

What type of scale would be used to display these values on a graph?

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152. Some people think that all raindrops fall at the same speed; others think that their speed depends on
their size.

Calculate the speed of a raindrop after it has fallen freely from rest for 0.2 s.

The raindrop falls for longer than 0.2 s. Explain why its acceleration does not remain uniform for the
whole of its fall.

Show that the mass of a 0.5 mm diameter spherical raindrop is less than 1 × 10–7 kg.

1.0 m3 of water has a mass of 1.0 × 103 kg

Calculate the raindrop’s terminal velocity. Assume that the upthrust from the air is negligible. Explain your
working clearly.

Viscosity of air = 1.8 × 10–5 kg m–1 s–1. (3)

Sketch a graph to show how the raindrop’s velocity increases from rest to terminal velocity. Add a
scale to the velocity axis.

Velocity

Time

Explain how the terminal velocity would be different for a larger raindrop.
(1)
(Total 12 marks)

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5 Children enjoy creating bubbles. The diagram shows some soap bubbles formed using a traditional
bubble blower.

(a) After being formed the bubbles float down to the ground.
(i) Add lines to the above diagram showing how the air flows around the bubble labelled A. (2)
(ii) What name is given to this type of airflow? (1)
(iii) Explain the differences between ‘laminar flow’ and ‘turbulent flow’? (2)
(b) State what is meant by upthrust. (1)
(c) One of the bubbles has a diameter of 0.070 m.
(i) Show that the upthrust acting on it is about 2 × 10–3 N. (2)
Density of air = 1.3 kg m–3
(ii) The bubble reaches a terminal velocity of 0.71 ms–1. Calculate its weight. (3)
Viscosity of air = 1.8 × 10–5 Nsm–2

6 The health hazard of volcanic ash can be assessed by determining the number of particles of less than
diameter 4 μm in a sample. This is known as grain-size distribution analysis.

Sedimentation is a cheaper, technique used to determine grain-size distribution. This is based on the
application of Stokes’s Law. The particles are allowed to fall through a liquid of known density and
viscosity. The terminal velocities of the particles are measured.
(a) Draw a diagram to show the forces acting on a particle as it falls through the fluid. (3)
(b) State the relationship between these forces when the particle is falling at terminal velocity. (1)
(c) Write down an expression for the weight of the particle in terms of its radius ′𝒓′ and density ′𝝆𝒂𝒔𝒉 ′
(d) Hence show that 𝒓 is given by the equation:
𝟗 𝒗
𝒓=√
𝟐 𝒈 (𝒂𝒔𝒉 − 𝒇 )

where  is the viscosity of the liquid, 𝒗 is the terminal velocity of the particle and 𝒇 is the density of

the fluid. (2)

(e) Explain how the terminal velocity would differ for a larger particle. (2)
(f) State why it is important to keep the temperature constant when taking these measurements. (1)

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