Lab 1

Determination of fluid temperature, fluid

density, and fluid viscosity

Prepared For:
Qi Shen
ME 380L, Section 1002
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Prepared By:
Raymond Lopez, Mail Box #24

Date Performed:
February 5, 2016

Due Date:
February 19, 2016

Introduction

In this lab, the temperature, density, and viscosity of different assorted fluids
are found. The room temperature and ice water temperature are found using a
thermometer for three trials/measurements and averaged to find the average
temperature. Densities of water, glycerol, and grape seed oil are found by massing
each fluid in a graduated cylinder and dividing it by its volume. The specific gravity
of each fluid is found using an instrument called a hydrometer. Viscosities of
glycerol and grape seed oil were found using different sized steel balls falling
through each liquid. The balls were timed by measuring how fast they fell through
the liquid and passed two references points. Three different sized balls were used
for three trials each, and the average time was found.

Theory
Density:

mass of fluid
kg
(1)
volume occupied by the mass m 3

( )

Specific gravity:

s=

liquid
; s is a dimensioness quantity(2)
water

Viscosity:

mg=F buoyant + F viscous (3)

steel ball

4
4
g r 3steel ball= liquid g r 3steel ball +6 r steel ball u( 4)
3
3

where = coefficient of velocity, and u = mean velocity of ball

( steel ball liquid )

2 2
= r steel ball g
(5)
9
u
To find average:

average=

Trial1 +Trial 2+ Trial3

(6)
3

Percent error:


100 (7)
Theoretical
%error =

TheoreticalExperimental

Experimental Procedure
The temperature of the room and ice water was found by using a
thermometer and taking three measurements each. These measurements were
then averaged to get the average temperature of the room and the average
temperature of the ice water.
To find the density, the mass of an empty graduated cylinder was found so
that this measurement could be subtracted from the total mass of the liquid and
cylinder. Then, each cylinder containing the three fluids was massed. The volumes
of each fluid were then measured by reading the scale at the bottom of the
meniscus of each fluid. The temperatures of each fluid were also obtained using a
thermometer.
To obtain the specific gravity of each fluid, a hydrometer was placed in each
liquid. The calibrated scale on the hydrometer was read to match the surface of
each liquid. When placed in the water, the hydrometer scale gave a value of 1 to
ensure that the hydrometer was working properly, since the value of specific gravity
is based on the density of water.
Finally, the viscosities of grape seed oil and glycerol were found. Given three
different sized steel balls, their radii, and their densities, each sized ball was
dropped in each liquid three times. Two reference points along the sides of the
container containing the liquid were used as a start and stop for the timer. As the
ball crossed the first reference point, the timer was started and then stopped when
it crossed the second one. These times were then used along with the distance
between the two reference points to give the measured velocity of the ball as it
traveled through the liquid.

Results/Discussion
Temperature
Trial
1
2
3

Room Temperature
(C)
24.5
24.0
25.5

Ice Water Temperature

(C)
3.2
2.0
1.8

Average Temperature

24.7

2.3

Table 1: Recorded temperatures

Each trial produced different measurements of the recorded temperature.
Because of this, an average was taken of the three trials. During the experiment,
the average room temperature was 24.7 C and the average ice water temperature
was 2.3 C.

Density
Mass of empty graduated cylinder = 46.5 g = 0.0465 kg
1 mL = 1 cm3
Type of
Liquid

Water

Total
mass
(liquid
+
cylinder
)
(kg)
0.1444

Volum
e of
liquid
(m3)

Mass of
liquid
(total
mass
cylinder)
(kg)

Experime
ntal
Density
(kg/m3)

Theoret
ical
Density
(kg/m3)

Temperat
ure (C)

9.7x10-

0.0979

1009.3

1000

23.6

0.1262

1268.3

1126

23.7

Glycerol

0.1727

9.95x1
0-5
9.9x10-

Grape
0.1386
0.0921
930.3
920
23.8
5
Seed Oil
Table 2: Recorded densities of water, glycerol, and grape seed oil
From the results of Table 2, glycerol is the densest liquid, followed by water,
and then grape seed oil. In other words, if given the same occupied volume for all
three liquids, glycerol would have the most mass within that occupied volume, and
grape seed oil would have the least.
Using the known theoretical values of density for each liquid, the percent
error between the experimental and theoretical density values can be calculated
from equation 7.

10001009.3 100 =0.93

1000
%error water=

 11261268.3 100 =12.6

1126
%error glycerol =
920930.3 100 =1.12
920
%error grape seedoil =
After calculating the percent errors, it appears that glycerol has the highest amount
of error at 12.6%. This amount of error could be attributed to poor, inaccurate
measurements or human error while determining the experimental density. It is
generally difficult to get a percent error of zero since the instruments used to work
with might not be perfectly calibrated.

Specific Gravity
Type of Liquid
Water
Glycerol
Grape Seed Oil

Experimental Specific
Gravity
1
1.27
0.92

Temperature (C)
23.2
23.7
23.7

Table 3: Recorded specific gravities of water, glycerol, and grape seed oil
Since the value of specific gravity is based on the density of water, the
specific gravity of water is 1. Glycerol has a higher specific gravity than water, so
glycerol is denser than water, as shown in Table 2. Grape seed oil has a lower
specific gravity than water, so grape seed oil is less dense than water.

Viscosity
Barometric Pressure = 1059 Bar = 1.059 mBar
Temperature of glycerol = 22 C
Temperature of grape seed oil = 25.5 C
Distance between two reference points = 175 mm = 0.175 m
Specific gravity of steel = 7.8; Density of steel = 7800 kg/m3
Trial
1
2
3
Average time

Diameter = 1.59
mm
20.16 s
20.06 s
20.19 s
20.14 s

Diameter = 2.38
mm
9.31 s
9.25 s
9.12 s
9.23 s

Diameter =
3.175 mm
5.40 s
5.31 s
5.50 s
5.40 s

Table 4: Recorded times of different sized steel balls falling through

glycerol
Trial

Diameter = 1.59 Diameter = 2.38

Diameter =
mm
mm
3.175 mm
1
1.47 s
0.57 s
0.31 s
2
1.25 s
0.44 s
0.38 s
3
1.44 s
0.66 s
0.44 s
Average time
1.39 s
0.56 s
0.38 s
Table 5: Recorded times of different sized steel balls falling through grape
seed oil

Steel Ball Size

Diameter = 1.59 mm
Diameter = 2.38 mm
Diameter = 3.175 mm
Table 6:
Steel Ball Size

Average Velocity for

Average Velocity for
glycerol (m/s)
grape seed oil (m/s)
0.0089
0.13
0.019
0.31
0.032
0.46
Average velocities of the steel balls
Coefficient of viscosity
(glycerol)
4.04
4.25
4.49
4.26

Coefficient of viscosity
(grape seed oil)
0.29
0.27
0.33
0.30

Diameter = 1.59 mm
Diameter = 2.38 mm
Diameter = 3.175 mm
Average coefficient of
viscosity
Table 7: Coefficient of viscosities for glycerol and grape seed oil

Viscosity refers to the internal stickiness of the fluid. The average

experimental coefficient of viscosity for glycerol was 4.26, and the average
experimental coefficient of viscosity for grape seed oil was 0.30. From the results,
glycerol has a higher coefficient of viscosity compared to grape seed oil. So there is
more internal friction in glycerol than grape seed oil. Water has a coefficient of
viscosity of about 0.894, which is between the average viscosities found for glycerol
and grape seed oil.

Conclusion
The temperature of the room was about 24.7 C, and the ice water
temperature was about 2.3 C. After finding the densities, specific gravities, and
coefficients of viscosities for water, glycerol, and grape seed oil, it was found that
glycerol was the densest and most viscous fluid of three. The least dense and least
viscous was grape seed oil. And although experimental trials and averages were
taken, there was still some degree of error with the experiment, and this could

possibly be attributed to human error, inaccurate measurements, or improperly

calibrated equipment. Generally, if error needed to be reduced as much as
possible, much care and a lot of time would need to be taken into consideration
when carrying out this lab.