CHAPTER 06: FLUID DYNAMICS

1. From the top of a tall building, you drop two table tennis balls, one filled with air
and the other with water. Which ball reaches terminal velocity first and why?

Consider two table tennis balls having same size. One ball is filled with air and the other with
water. Let “r” is radius of the ball the terminal velocity Vt is given as

Since g, π, η and r are constants for both balls, therefore, terminal velocity is proportional to
the masses of the balls. Now the mass of the ball filled with air is less than the mass of the ball
filled with water, therefore, the terminal velocity of the air filled ball will also be less. This
means that the ball filled with air will take less time to attain its terminal speed as compared to
the heavier water filled ball.

2. Why can squirrel jump from a tree branch to the ground run away undamaged
while a human could break a bone in such a fall?

When a body is falling in air, there are two force acting on it.

 Weight, acting downwards and is proportional to its mass.

 Drag force, acting upward and is proportional to exposed area of the body.

So, the net force basically depends on the mass and exposed area. If the body is lighter and its
exposed area is comparatively less, the drag force will be large and the body will fall slow. On
the other hand if the body is heavier and its exposed area is comparatively less it will fall
speedily. Now a squirrel has very little mass and the spread of its body is comparatively large.
Therefore, when it jumps down the tree, the drag force is larger. The squirrel comes down with
a much lower velocity and remains undamaged. On the other hand, a man’s weight is much
larger as compared to its spread or exposed area. Therefore, the drag force is also greater and
he hits the ground with a greater velocity and gets his bones broken.

3. How does the terminal speed of a parachutist before opening a parachute compare
to the terminal speed afterwards? Why is there a difference?

There are two terminal speeds of paratrooper in a single jump; one before the parachute opens
and the other after the parachute opens. The one before opening the parachute is faster and
the other when the parachute is opened is slower. The difference is due to the change in the

WRITTEN BY: ENGR MIRAJ AHMAD 0332-9177174

 CHAPTER 06: FLUID DYNAMICS

exposed area of the parachute. When the parachute is closed the frontal or exposed area is
smaller. As a consequence, the drag force is smaller and the terminal speed is attained after a
greater downwards velocity. On the other
hand, when the frontal is expanded after the
parachute opens, the drag force increases
which decreases the downward fall and
therefore, the terminal velocity also decreases.

So the difference in the two velocities is due

the expanded area of the open parachute.

4. You can squirt water over a greater distance by placing your thumb over the end of
a garden hose than by leaving it completely uncovered. Explain how does it work?

As by equation of continuity we know that

This equation show that speed of the fluid is inversely proportional to cross sectional area.
Greater cross sectional area smaller will be the speed and vice versa Area becomes smaller
because the cross-sectional area has reduced by keeping thumb on it. Therefore, if thumb is
kept on the outlet of the hose, the outgoing water emerges with greater velocity and we can
squirt water on greater distances.

5. Why does smoke rise faster in a chimney on a windy day?

On a windy day the smoke rises faster in the chimney. The phenomena can be explained on the
basis of Bernoulli’s equation.

From this equation we conclude that when velocity of the fluid is increased, the pressure must
decrease in order to keep the sum of the equation constant.

WRITTEN BY: ENGR MIRAJ AHMAD 0332-9177174

 CHAPTER 06: FLUID DYNAMICS

Now when wind is blowing, the velocity of the air is increased over the top of the chimney so
the pressure decreases. However, the pressure below is larger. The difference in pressure on
the top of the chimney and beneath forces the air and smoke particles inside the chimney to
rise faster in the chimneys. Therefore, the smoke rises faster when wind (air) is blowing.

6. Two boats moving in parallel paths close to one another risk colliding. Why?

When two boats are moving in parallel directions close to each other, the velocity of water
streams between the two boats become very large as compared to the velocity of water
streams on outer sides of the boats. Due to it, the pressure between the boats is reduced
according to Bernoulli's equation. Now the outward high pressure pushes the boats inwards. As
a result of it, the boats come closer to each other and May even collide and be destroyed.

7. A cricket ball moves past an observer from left to right spinning counterclockwise.
In which direction will the ball tend to deflect?

When the ball moves past the observer from left to right and
spinning in anti-clock-wise direction in a horizontal plane this
means the spin in the ball is away from the observer. The air
can be considered moving opposite to the direction of motion
of the ball. Now, toward the observer, the direction of the spin
of the ball is opposite to the direction of the motion of the air.
Therefore, the speed of air decreases. On the other side of the
ball, i-e, away from the observer, the direction of the spin of
the ball is along the direction of the air. Therefore, speed of the
air increases. According to Bernoulli's principle, an increased speed of air means decrease in
pressure and vice versa. Therefore, the pressure on the ball on the side toward the observer is
more than the pressure on the side away from the observer. So the ball will deflect away from
the observer.

8. Why do golf balls have dimples?

Golf balls have dimples. These are due to the following reasons.

 Increased lift: As air flows over the dimpled surface, it clings to the ball which generates lift and
helps the ball stay in the air longer, resulting in a higher trajectory and increased distance.
 Reduced drag: dimples create a turbulent boundary layer of air around the ball as it fly, which
delays the separation of air and allows the ball to slice through the air with less resistance.

WRITTEN BY: ENGR MIRAJ AHMAD 0332-9177174

 CHAPTER 06: FLUID DYNAMICS

 improved stability—dimples contribute to the ball’s stability during flight by preventing it from
wobbling or veering off course, making it more accurate and predictable in the trajectory

9. How by using wind deflectors on the top truck cabs reduce fuel consumption?

When a truck is moving, it faces air resistance (drag) due to its large frontal area. So the air
flows over the truck's cab and hits the flat surface, creating a high-pressure zone in front of the
trailer and a low-pressure zone behind it. This pressure difference causes additional drag, which
requires more engine power and fuel consumption to maintain the same speed.

Wind deflectors are installed on the top of the truck cab to redirect the airflow over it, reducing
the high-pressure zone in front of the trailer and the low-pressure zone behind it. As a result,
the overall drag is reduced, leading to lower fuel consumption. Therefore, using wind deflectors
on the top truck cabs reduces fuel consumption by reducing the drag caused by air resistance

WRITTEN BY: ENGR MIRAJ AHMAD 0332-9177174