Jordan University of Science

and Technology
Civil Engineering
Department
Fluid Laboratory and
Hydraulic
CE 354

Experiment name: Measurement of

density and viscosity

Name:

Uni. Number:

Section: 1 MONDAY - WENDESDAY

DATE : / 7 / 2007
Experiment objective:
Determinate the density and viscosity of some liquids
(Engine oil, Glycerol and Caster oil) at atmospheric pressure
and temperature.

Theory
Density is one of the important properties of fluid and
defined as mass per volume, and it defers from fluid to
another. Also density is affected by the temperature and
pressure and assumed to be a function of both.
Assume that the hydrometer (fig 1) is placed in distilled
water, thus the equilibrium equation is:
F Buoyancy = Whydro. --------------- (1)
= w Vo
Now assume that the hydrometer is in placed in any other
liquid:
W Hydro. = oil (Vo +V) ------------ (2)

from (1) and (2) we get:

w Vo = oil (Vo +V)

oil = w V /(Vo +V) = w /(1+( V /Vo)), dividing by g:

 oil = w ( 1/ (1 ( V /Vo))
= w (1/ (1 (h /ho))

Talking about viscosity take us to its definition:

The resistance of fluid to flow is the viscosity and it is
found using a small ball in liquid, and by Newton 2nd law we
find the effecting forces like follows (fig2):
FB + F W= 0
FB = Vball , V= (4/3) r3

F =Cd A s v2/2 , v: falling velocity

s : density of steel ball (7.8gm/cm3)
v = distance / t
using stacks law:
Cd = 64/Re# , Re# = vD/ , = /

Finally we get:
= (2/9) r2 g (s fluid) / v

Procedure
Exp. 1: Density:
1. Use the hydrometer to measure the density by taking
the reading of it and record it.
Note :( when getting the hydrometer out we have to clean
well before replacing it in another liquid.)

Exp.2: Viscosity:
1. Drop the spherical steel ball in the cylinder containing
the liquid (e.g.: engine oil).
 2. when the ball pass the first mark in the cylinder start the
stopwatch and stop it when it passes the end mark and
record the time (the distance between the two marks in
this experiment is 30cm).
3. repeat the steps(1,2) two more time using other different
balls with different diameters
4. Now repeat steps (1-3) using the other liquids this time.

Data:
*Density:
Barometric pressure = 708mm.
Temperature = 17oC
Table1:
liquid Liquid density
water 1.0
Glycerol
Caster oil
Engine oil

*Viscosity:
Measured diameters of balls = 3.9mm, 3.1mm, 2.3mm.
Density = 7.8g/cm3
Liquids: Engine oil, Caster oil, Glycerol.

Table2: Glycerol
Ball (diameter) Time(sec)
B1 (3.9mm)
B2 (3.1mm)
B3(2.3mm)
Table 3: Caster oil
Ball (diameter) Time(sec)
B1 (3.9mm)
B2 (3.1mm)
B3(2.3mm)

Table4: Engine oil

Ball (diameter) Time(sec)
B1 (3.9mm)
B2 (3.1mm)
B3(2.3mm)
Discussion
In this experiment we found the density directly
using the hydrometer.
Looking t the result shows that the densities of the
different liquids are less than that for water.
When the volume immerged in the liquid increases
the density decreases.
Viscosity is affected by the values of temperature
and pressure, when the temperature increases the
viscosity decreases.
Some errors may exists due to miss reading the
hydrometer reading or in taking the exact time the
ball take through motion and due to manufacturing
errors.