ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics

Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

1. Contrary to what you might expect, a solid steel ball can float on water due to the
surface tension effect. Determine the maximum diameter of a steel ball that would
float on water at 10°C. What would your answer be for an aluminum ball? Take the
densities of steel and aluminum balls to be 7800 kg/m3 and 2700 kg/m3 , respectively.

Solution
A steel ball floats on water due to the surface tension effect. The maximum diameter of the
ball is to be determined, and the calculations are to be repeated for aluminum.
Assumptions 1 The water is pure, and its temperature is constant. 2 The ball is dropped on
water slowly so that the inertial effects are negligible. 3 The contact angle is taken to be 0 for
maximum diameter.
Properties The surface tension of water at 10C is s = 0.0745 N/m (Table 2-4 by
interpolation). The contact angle is taken to be 0. The densities of steel and aluminum are
given to be steel = 7800 kg/m3 and Al = 2700 kg/m3.

W = mg

Analysis The surface tension force and the weight of the ball can be expressed as

Fs   D  s and W  m g   gV   g D 3 /6
When the ball floats, the net force acting on the ball in the vertical direction is zero. Therefore,
6 s
setting Fs  W and solving for diameter D gives D  .
g
Substititing the known quantities, the maximum diameters for the steel and aluminum balls
become

6 s 6(0.0745 N /m )  1 kg m /s2  3

D steel   2    2.4210 m  2.42 mm
g 3
(7800 kg/m )(9.81 m /s ) 1N 

6 s 6(0.0745 N /m )  1 kg  m /s2  3
D Al      4.11 10 m  4.11 mm
g 3 2
(2700 kg/m )(9.81 m /s ) 1N 

Discussion Note that the ball diameter is inversely proportional to the square root of
density, and thus for a given material, the smaller balls are more likely to float.

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

2. The gage pressure of the air in the tank shown in Fig. P3–44 is measured to be 50 kPa.
Determine the differential height h of the mercury column.

Solution

The gage pressure of air in a pressurized water tank is measured simultaneously by both a
pressure gage and a manometer. The differential height h of the mercury column is to be
determined.
Assumptions The air pressure in the tank is uniform (i.e., its variation with elevation is
negligible due to its low density), and thus the pressure at the air-water interface is the same
as the indicated gage pressure.
Properties We take the density of water to be w =1000 kg/m3. The specific gravities of oil
and mercury are given to be 0.72 and 13.6, respectively.
Analysis Starting with the pressure of air in the tank (point 1), and moving along the tube
by adding (as we go down) or subtracting (as we go up) the  gh terms until we reach the
free surface of oil where the oil tube is exposed to the atmosphere, and setting the result
equal to Patm gives

P1  w ghw  H gghH g  oilghoil  Patm 50 kPa

Rearranging,
P1  Patm  oilghoil  H gghH g  w ghw Air
hoil
or,
Water
P1,gage
 s,oilhoil  s,H ghH g  hw
w g hHg
hw

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

Substituting,

 50 kPa   1000 kg m /s2 

 2    0.72 (0.75 m ) 13.6 hH g  0.3 m
3
 (1000 kg/m )(9.81 m /s ) 1 kPa.m  2 
Solving for hHg gives hHg = 0.357 m.
Therefore, the differential height of the mercury column must be 35.7 cm.
Discussion Double instrumentation like this allows one to verify the measurement of one
of the instruments by the measurement of another instrument.

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

3. Derive a relation for the capillary rise of a liquid between two large parallel plates a
distance t apart inserted into the liquid vertically. Take the contact angle to be f.

Solution
A relation is to be derived for the capillary rise of a liquid between two large parallel plates a
distance t apart inserted into a liquid vertically. The contact angle is given to be .
Assumptions There are no impurities in the liquid, and no contamination on the surfaces of
the plates.
Analysis The magnitude of the capillary rise between two large parallel plates can be
determined from a force balance on the rectangular liquid column of height h and width w
between the plates. The bottom of the liquid column is at the same level as the free surface
of the liquid reservoir, and thus the pressure there must be atmospheric pressure. This will
balance the atmospheric pressure acting from the top surface, and thus these two effects will
cancel each other. The weight of the liquid column is

W  m g   gV   g(w  t h) t

Equating the vertical component of the surface tension force to the weight gives

W  Fsurface   g(w  t h) 2w s cos

Canceling w and solving for h gives the capillary rise to be Air h

2 s cos Liquid
Capillary rise: h
 gt
W
Discussion The relation above is also valid for non-
wetting liquids (such as mercury in glass), and gives a
capillary drop instead of a capillary rise.

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

4. A system is equipped with two pressure gages and a manometer, as shown in Fig. P3–
145. For Δh = 12 cm and hoil =65 cm, determine the pressure difference ΔP = P2 − P1.

Solution

A system is equipped with two pressure gages and a manometer. For a given differential fluid
height, the pressure difference P = P2 - P1 is to be determined.
Assumptions 1 All the liquids are incompressible. 2 The effect of air column on pressure is
negligible.
Properties The specific gravities are given tone 2.15 for the gage fluid and 0.87 for oil. We
take the standard density of water to be w = 1000 kg/m3.

Air

Manometer h
fluid, SG=2.15

Oil
hoil
SG=0.87

P2 P1

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

Analysis Starting with the pressure indicated by the pressure gage 2 and moving along
the tube by adding (as we go down) or subtracting (as we go up) the  gh terms and ignoring
the air spaces until we reach the pressure gage 1, and setting the result equal to P1 give
P2  gage g h  oil ghoil  P1

Rearranging,
P2  P1   w g  SG gage h  SG oil hoil 

Substituting,

 1 kN   1 kPa 
P2  P1  (1000 kg/m 3 )(9.81 m /s2 )[2.15(0.12 m ) 0.87(0.65 m )] 2  2 
 1000 kg m /s   1 kN /m 
 3.02 kPa
Therefore, the pressure reading of the left gage is 3.02 kPa lower than that of the right gage.
Discussion The negative pressure difference indicates that the pressure differential across
the oil level is greater than the pressure differential corresponding to the differential height
of the manometer fluid.

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

5. An oil pipeline and a 1.3-m3 rigid air tank are connected to each other by a
manometer, as shown in Fig. P3–146. If the tank contains 15 kg of air at 80°C,
determine (a) the absolute pressure in the pipeline and (b) the change in Δh when the
temperature in the tank drops to 20°C. Assume the pressure in the oil pipeline to
remain constant, and the air volume in the manometer to be negligible relative to the
volume of the tank.

Solution

An oil pipeline and a rigid air tank are connected to each other by a manometer. The pressure
in the pipeline and the change in the level of manometer fluid due to a air temperature drop
are to be determined.
Assumptions 1 All the liquids are incompressible. 2 The effect of air column on pressure is
negligible. 3 The air volume in the manometer is negligible compared with the volume of the
tank.
Properties The specific gravities are given to be 2.68 for oil and 13.6 for mercury. We take
the standard density of water to be w = 1000 kg/m3. The gas constant of air is 0.287
kPam3/kgK.

B
A, Oil
Air, 80C
SG=2.68
hoil =75

hHg = h = 20
3d
cm

d=4
mm
400 Mercury
SG=13.6

Analysis (a) Starting with the oil pipe and moving along the tube by adding (as we go
down) or subtracting (as we go up) the  gh terms until we reach the air tank, and setting the
result equal to Pair give

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ENM3218/ENS6100 Fluid Mechanics
Tutorials 2 Questions & Solutions

Poil  oilghoil  H gghH g  Pair

The absolute pressure in the air tank is determined from the ideal-gas relation PV = mRT to be
m RT (15 kg)(0.287 kPa m 3 /kg K )(80  273)K
Pair    1169 kPa
V 1.3 m 3

Then the absolute pressure in the oil pipe becomes

Poil  Pair  oil ghoil  Hg ghHg

   1 kPa 
 1169 kPa  1000 kg/m3  (9.81 m/s 2 ) 2.68(0.75 m)  13.6  0.20 m  
1 kN

2  2 
 1000 kg  m/s   1 kN/m 
 1123 kPa  1120 kPa
(b) The pressure in the air tank when the temperature drops to 20C becomes
m RT (15 kg)(0.287 kPa m 3 /kg K )(20  273)K
Pair    970 kPa
V 1.3 m 3

When the mercury level in the left arm drops a distance x, the rise in the mercury level in the
right arm y becomes
Vleft  Vright   (3d)2 x   d2 y  y  9x and yvert  9xsin50
and the mercury fluid height will change by 9 5 0°or 7.894x. Then,
oil oil ℎ oil Hg ∆ℎHg Hg 9 5 0° air 
!air "!oil
SGoil ℎoil SGHg ℎHg 9 5 0°
#$ %
Substituting,

(970  1123)kPa  1000 kg m /s2   1 kN /m 2 

2.68(0.75  x) 13.6(0.20  7.894x)   
(1000 kg/m 3 )(9.81 m /s2 ) 1 kN   1 kPa 
which yields
x  0.194 m  19.4 cm
Therefore, the oil-mercury interface will drop 19.4 cm as a result of the temperature drop of
air.
Discussion Note that the pressure in constant-volume gas chambers is very sensitive to
temperature changes.

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