PHY 1015 – Mechanical Properties of fluids – Fluids in Motion

Tutorial 9B

1. The aorta in humans has a diameter of about 2.0 cm, and at certain times the blood speed
through it is about 55 cm/s. Is the blood flow turbulent? The density of whole blood is 1 050
kg/m 3 , and its coefficient of viscosity is 2.7 x 10 -3 Ns/m2 .
2. A hypodermic needle is 3.0 cm in length and 0.30 mm in diameter. What pressure difference
between the input and output of the needle is required so that the flow rate of water
through it will be 1 g/s? (Use 1.0 x 1023 Pa s as the viscosity of water.)
3. What radius needle should be used to inject a volume of 500. cm 3 of a solution into a
patient in 30.0 min? Assume the length of the needle is 2.5 cm and the solution is elevated
1.0 m above the point of injection. Further, assume the viscosity and density of the solution
are those of pure water, and that the pressure inside the vein is atmospheric.
4. The Venturi tube shown may be used as a fluid
flowmeter. Suppose the device is used at a service
station to measure the flow rate of gasoline (density =
7.00 x 102 kg/m 3 ) through a hose having an outlet
radius of 1.20 cm. If the difference in pressure is
measured to be P1 - P2 = 1.20 kPa and the radius of the
inlet tube to the meter is 2.40 cm, find (a) the speed of
the gasoline as it leaves the hose and (b) the fluid flow
rate in cubic meters per second.

5. When a person inhales, air moves down the bronchus (windpipe) at 15 cm/s. The average
flow speed of the air doubles through a constriction in the bronchus. Assuming
incompressible flow, determine the pressure drop in the constriction

6. A jet of water squirts out horizontally from a hole near the bottom of
the tank shown. If the hole has a diameter of 3.50 mm, what is the
height h of the water level in the tank?

7. A hypodermic syringe contains a

medicine with the density of water.
The barrel of the syringe has a cross-
sectional area of 2.50 x 10-5 m2 . In
the absence of a force on the
plunger, the pressure everywhere is
1.00 atm. A force F of magnitude 2.00 N is exerted on the plunger, making medicine squirt
from the needle. Determine the medicine’s flow speed through the needle. Assume the
pressure in the needle remains equal to 1.00 atm and that the syringe is horizontal. (a)
Calculate the mass flow rate (in grams per second) of blood (density = 1.0 g/cm 3 ) in an
aorta with a cross-sectional area of 2.0 cm 2 if the flow speed is 40. cm/s. (b) Assume that the
aorta branches to form a large number of capillaries with a combined cross-sectional area of
3.0 x 10 3 cm 2 . What is the flow speed in the capillaries?
8. A horizontal pipe narrows from a radius of 0.250 m to 0.100 m. If the speed of the water in
the pipe is 1.00 m/s in the larger radius pipe, what is the speed in the smaller pipe?

9. A large water tank is 3.00 m high and filled to the brim, the top of the tank open to the air. A
small pipe with a faucet is attached to the side of the tank, 0.800 m above the ground. If the
valve is opened, at what speed will water come out of the pipe

10. Approximately what volume of water per second can flow through a pipe 2.0 cm in diameter
before turbulent flow will occur. Reynold’s number is 2000.