Instructor: Hacker Name:

Course: Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 2 Homework Set Solutions

Instructions: This homework is broke into three components: (i) Part 1: true-false concept questions,
(ii) Part 2: basic computational skills, and (iii) Part 3: derivation, analysis, and problem-solving
questions. The rules for each component are listed below.

(i) There is no partial credit given for true-false problems. Since these are concept questions, you do
not need to show any work for these problems.
(ii) There is no partial credit given for multiple-choice problems. Although there is no partial credit
on this assignment, you must show your work on all of the problems. If you fail to show work you
will receive a zero for the problem even if it is correct.
(iii) On these problems you must show all of your work to receive any credit. If in doubt, write it out!
Show your work as clearly as you can: if I can’t understand how you got an answer, I will not
give you credit for it. Remember, I know how to solve the problem; and to make matters worse,
I have a lot of training in following logical arguments!
Warning: The definition of “little or no work” will be determined by the instructor, not the
student.

Attention. If you don’t use the space provided on this homework set, then be sure and clearly label
your worked out solutions. If the grader can’t locate them, they will not search for them and the problem
will be graded as wrong. If you forget to write your name, or if the grader can’t read your writing, you
can lose all of the possible points. Answer all the questions that you can. If you don’t circle the correct
answer below, then you will not receive any credit for any of the problems.

Circle your answers here. Do not detach this sheet from the test.

1. ○
T F 6. T ○
F 11. ○
T F 16. T ○
F 21. T ○
F

2. T ○
F 7. T ○
F 12. T ○
F 17. T ○
F 22. ○
T F

3. ○
T F 8. T ○
F 13. ○
T F 18. ○
T F 23. T ○
F

4. T ○
F 9. T ○
F 14. ○
T F 19. ○
T F 24. ○
T F

5. ○
T F 10. ○
T F 15. ○
T F 20. ○
T F 25. ○
T F

Circle your answers here. Do not detach this sheet from the test.

26. a ○
b c d e 28. a b c d ○
e 30. a ○
b c d e

27. a b c d ○
e 29. ○
a b c d e

Do not write in the space(s) below!

31. (5 pts)
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 2

Chapter 2: Fundamental concepts

Part 1: True-or-False Concept Questions Component

Section 2.1: Fluid as a continuum

Problem 1. True or False: In order to properly define the temperature at a point in

the flow field, we need the continuum assumption.
Solution: True.

Problem 2. True or False: Strictly speaking, a gas is not a continuum fluid because it
is made up of discrete molecules with lots of space between them (the mean-free path);
however, a liquid is a continuum because there is no space between the molecules in a
liquid (they’re touching).
Solution: False.

Section 2.2: Velocity field

Problem 3. True or False: A velocity field of the form V~ = u(y) ı̂ is a one-dimensional

vector field.
Solution: True

Problem 4. True or False: The velocity field of the form: V~ = u(x, y, t) ı̂ + v(x, y, t) ̂
is a steady, two-dimensional, two-directional vector field.
Solution: False. It’s time dependent, so it’s unsteady.

Problem 5. True or False: The velocity field V~ = −y ı̂ + x ̂ is a steady vector field.

Solution: True.

Problem 6. True or False: The velocity field V~1 = t ı̂ + ey ̂ is a two-directional, two-

dimensional, unsteady vector field.
Solution: False. One-dimensional (spatial dimensions are one).

Problem 7. True or False: The velocity field corresponding to a solid-body rotation,

V~ = vθ (r) θ̂(θ), is a one-dimensional vector field when expressed in polar coordinates.
Solution: False. If we switch to polar, then we can express the flow field in the form:
V~ = vθ (r) θ̂(θ) as a two-dimension flow with respect to r and θ, and a one-directional
flow in the θ-direction, which is a generalized coordinate.
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 3

Subsection 2.2: Timelines, pathlines, streamlines, and streaklines

Problem 8. True or False: Generally speaking, for an unsteady flow situation, only
the pathlines and streaklines are the same.
Solution: False. The pathlines and streaklines are only the same for steady flow situa-
tions.
Problem 9. True or False: For an unsteady flow situation, the curve representing the
pathlines and streamlines are always the same, but the streamlines and streaklines are,
in general, different.
Solution: False. For a steady flow situation, the curve representing the pathlines,
streamlines, and streaklines are all the same.

Section 2.3: Stress field

Problem 10. True or False: A normal stress on a static fluid’s surface is also known
as pressure.
Solution: True.
Problem 11. True or False: Any contact force that acts on an area δA of the surface
of a fluid particle can be expressed as a stress.
Solution: True.
Problem 12. True or False: A stress is a body force.
Solution: False. Stress is a surface force. An example of a body force is gravity.

Section 2.4: Viscosity

Problem 13. True or False: The dynamic viscosity µ of a fluid has fundamental SI
units of kg/(m·s).
Solution: True.
Problem 14. True or False: The kinematic viscosity ν = µ/ρ, when written in terms
of the fundamental units, is independent of mass kg.
Solution: True.
Problem 15. True or False: Loosely speaking, the viscosity of a fluid is the “stickiness”
of the fluid.
Solution:
Problem 16. True or False: You are stirring a pot of liquid mercury with a large
paddle. You notice a strong resistance to the motion of the paddle from the liquid
mercury. The resistance to the paddle’s motion is solely due to the viscosity of the fluid.
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 4

Solution: False. It’s due to the inertial of the mass (a.k.a. inertial forces)
Problem 17. True or False: The kinematic viscosity ν and dynamic viscosity µ must
have the same dimensions since they both represent the stickiness of the fluid.
Solution: False.
Problem 18. True or False: A newtonian fluid is one that has a linear shear stress to
shear strain-rate relationship.
Solution: True.
Problem 19. True or False: Liquid honey and Paint are examples of non-newtonian
fluids.
Solution: True.
Problem 20. True or False: A viscous fluid must flow very slowly when poured out of
a can.
Solution: False. The speed at which a free-flowing fluid moves, is related to µ, but just
because a fluid is viscous, it does not follow that it will flow slowly.

Section 2.5: Surface Tension

No problems for this section.

Section 2.6: Description and classification of fluid motions

Problem 21. True or False: An inviscid fluid is expressed mathematically as µ = 0

and ρ = 0.
Solution: False. An inviscid fluid is defined as one that has µ = 0. If ρ = 0, then the
fluid has no mass, so it doesn’t actually exist!
Problem 22. True or False: Crudely, you can recognize a flowing liquid as a laminar
flow field if you inject a dye into the fluid and the flow looks very smooth and “glass-like”.
Solution: True.
Problem 23. True or False: Flow through a duct system in a building is an example
of a channel flow.
Solution: False. This is an internal flow.
Problem 24. True or False: Flow over a wing is an example of an external flow.
Solution: True.
Problem 25. True or False: Water flowing in a pipe is an example of an internal flow.
Solution: True.
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 5

Part 2: Basic Computational Skills Component

Subsection 2.1.2: Density, specific gravity, specific weight

Problem 26 (Density, specific volume, specific volume). A liquid has a specific

weight of 12,400 N/m3 . Using the standard value of gravity 9.8 m/s2 , calculate the mass
of 500 cm3 of the liquid. Keep two significant figures.
(a) 630 kg *(b) 0.63 kg
(c) 6300 kg (d) 0.063 kg
(e) None of these
Solution:
γV
m= ≈ 0.63
g

Problem 27 (Density, specific volume, specific volume ). The mass of an unknown

gas mixture in a room that is 3 m × 3 m × 5 m is known to be 9 kg. What is the specific
volume v of the gas in m3 /kg?
(a) 0 ≤ v < 1 (b) 1 ≤ v < 2
(c) 2 ≤ v < 3 (d) 3 ≤ v < 4
*(e) 4 ≤ v
Solution:
volume length × width × height 3 · 3 · 5 m3 m3
v≡ = = = 5
mass mass 32 kg kg

Problem 28 (Specific gravity). The specific gravity of mercury is SGHg = 13.6, where
SG = ρ/ρwater and ρwater = 103 kg/m3 at 4◦ C. What’s the density of mercury ρHg ?
(a) 0 kg/m3 ≤ ρ < 10 kg/m3 (b) 10 kg/m3 ≤ ρ < 20 kg/m3
(c) 20 kg/m3 ≤ ρ < 30 kg/m3 (d) 30 kg/m3 ≤ ρ < 40 kg/m3
*(e) 40 kg/m3 ≤ ρ
Solution: ρHg = SHg ρwater = 13.6 × 103 kg/m3 .
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 6

Section 2.3: Stress field

Problem 29 (Shear stress). Water at 20◦ C is flowing through a pipe with a diameter
of 4 cm. The velocity distribution is

u(r) = 10 1 − 2500r2

where r is the distance from the center in meters, and u is in m/s. Which of the following
is the best approximation of the magnitude of the shear stress τ at the wall? Take the
kg
dynamic viscosity of water to be µ ≈ 10−3 m·s (see table A.3 in Fox and McDonald).
*(a) 1.0 Pa (b) 2.0 Pa
(c) 0.1 Pa (d) 0.2 Pa
(e) None of these
Solution: Use Newton’s law of viscosity:
du
τrz = µ (r = R) = µ10(−5000R) = −(10−3 )(5 × 104 )(2 × 10−2 ) = 1.0 Pa.
dr

Section 2.4: Viscosity

No problems for this section.

Section 2.5: Surface Tension

Problem 30 (Surface Tension). A vertical tube with

diameter 0.02 cm is inserted into a container of liq-
uid water at room temperature. The water is ob-
served to be attached to a wall with an angle of
β = 30◦ to the vertical (see figure). Use the formula
h = (4σ cos β)/(ρgD) to determine how high the water
will climb up in the tube. Take the surface tension for
water at standard temperature and atmospheric pres-
sure to be σ = 0.0741 N/m. Round your answer to the
nearest millimeter.
(a) 7 mm *(b) 13 cm
(c) 19 cm (d) 24 cm
(e) None of these
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 7

Part 3: Derivation, Analysis, and Problem-Solving Component

Problem 31 (Shear Stress). A concentric cylinder viscometer may be formed by ro-

tating the inner member of a pair of closely fitting cylinders. The annular gap is small
so that a linear velocity profile will exist in the liquid sample.
A concentric cylinder viscometer is driven by a falling mass M connected by a cord and
pulley to the inner cylinder, as shown in figure 1. The liquid to be tested fills the annular
gap of width a and height H. After a brief starting transient, the mass falls at constant
speed Vm .
(a) Assuming that the pulley holding up the mass is frictionless develop an algebraic
expression for the viscosity of the liquid in the device in terms of the known parameters:
M, g, Vm , r, R, a, and H.
(b) Use your formula to evaluate the viscosity of the liquid using:
M = 0.10 kg r = 25 mm
R = 50 mm a = 0.20 mm
H = 80 mm Vm = 30 mm/s

Figure 1: A concentric cylinder viscometer with rotating inner cylinder and fixed outer
cylinder.
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 8

Solution: (a) Start by writing down what we’re given, what we want, and any assump-
tions. 

 M = hanging mass

r = radius of pulley





R = radius of rotor
Given:


 H = Height of the cylinder



 a = gap width

Vm = speed of the falling mass


Want: Formula for the dynamic viscosity µ of the liquid in the gap.
Assumptions:

(i) The system is adjusted so that the mass falls at a constant speed, and hence the
cylinder rotates at a constant speed.

(ii) The pulley is massless and frictionless, so the tension across the pulley is the con-
stant.

(iii) The string doesn’t stretch ⇒ linear acceleration ay = rotational acceleration aθ .

(iv) The fluid is a Newtonian fluid.

(v) Narrow gap, so we can assume a linear profile. This assumes that there is no
pressure gradient in the θ-direction.

Equations Needed:

• Newton’s law of viscosity: τrθ = µ dv

dr
θ

• Sum of the torques (moments) about the central axis is zero.

• Torque due to viscosity on rotating cylinder wall:

Tvis = |τrθ |AR, where A = 2πRH is the contact area of the cylinder wall.

• Torque due to the tension in the spring acting on the pulley:

Ttension = Tstring r.

Analysis: Let’s outline our approach:

• Step 1: Convert the information from the motion of the falling mass to angular
velocity and torque on the rotor.

• Step 2: Sum the net torque on the rotor to get the governing equation.

• Step 3: Apply Newton’s law of viscosity and determine an expression for the
velocity profile in the gap.
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 9

The first step is to analyze the falling mass and relate its linear motion to the angular
motion of the rotating cylinder, and to determine the resulting torque that the string
exerts on the pulley.
We outline the steps below:

• Take the downward direction as the positive y-direction.

• Since the mass is falling at constant speed we know that the net force on the mass
M is zero since the acceleration ay = 0. Since the string doesn’t stretch, we also
have ay = aθ = 0.
• Using s = θr we see that since the string doesn’t stretch, the angular acceleration
is also zero ay = rα, and the angular velocity is the constant: Vm = ωr. Observe
that this result required both geometric and physical reasoning.

The net force in the y-direction is then

0 = Fnet,y = M g − T1 ⇒ T1 = M g ,
where T1 is the tension in the string on the mass-side of the pulley. Since the pulley is
frictionless and massless,
T1 = T2 = T = M g .
The next step is to get the governing equation. Since the rotating cylinder is not accel-
erating, the there is no net torque on the cylinder. The net torque is the moment due to
the tension in the string from the pulley of radius r, and the counter moment from the
drag on the cylinder due to the shear stresses over the cylinder wall. Applying Newton’s
second law for rotating bodies yields
0 = Iα = Tnet = Tvis − Ttension = M gr − τrθ AR . (∗)
Setting A = and solving for τrθ gives
M gr
τrθ = . (∗∗)
2πHR2
The last step is to apply Newtons law of viscosity to determine the shear stress in terms
of known quantities.
     
 dvθ   ∆vθ   0 − Rω 
|τrθ | = µ 
  = µ
  = µ
  = µ RVm , (∗ ∗ ∗)
dr  ∆r  (R + a) − R  ra
where we used Vm = ωr. Substituting (∗) and (∗∗) into (∗ ∗ ∗) yields the final expression
for µ:
M gr2 a
µ= . (1)
2πHR3 Vm
Observe that the dimensions are consistent.
(b) For the given data, the viscosity is
(0.10kg)(9.8 sm2 )(0.025m)2 (0.0002m) kg
µ= m 3
= 0.065 .
2π(0.03 s )(0.05m) (0.08m) m·s
homework set 2 solns Copyright ©Wayne Hacker 2017. All rights reserved. 10