EXP NO 1.

DATE：7 APRIL 2023

DETERMINATION OF VISCOSITY OF LIQUIDS

AIM : To determine the viscosity of the given liquids using an Ostwald viscometer.

PRINCIPLE:

The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to gradual deformation by shear

stress or tensile stress. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal notion of “thickness”. For
example, honey has a higher viscosity than water.

Ostwald Viscometer (Capillary viscometer) consists of two bulbs, one attached with a
capillary tube and a U-tube below the capillary tube while the other bulb is attached to the arm
of the U-tube at a level lower than the other bulb. The liquids of known densities are allowed
to flow through capillary maintaining the same differences of levels in the limbs and the time
equation which governs the flow leads to the relation:

Where η1 and η2 are the viscosities coefficients of the water and liquid respectively and d1
and d2 are the densities of the water and liquid respectively. Knowing the value of the viscosity
of one liquid, one can calculate the viscosity of another liquid.

MATERIALS AND APPARATUS:

Viscometer, beaker, pipette, stopwatch, water, and chloroform.

PROCEDURE:

1. The viscometer was fixed vertically on the stand and 15ml of water was pipetted into the
lower bulb. The volume of water (15ml) was chosen so that the liquid can be conveniently
sucked into the upper bulb leaving some in the lower bulb.

2. Water was sucked into the other bulb to a point about the mark above the bulb.

3. Then, it was released and the stopwatch started when the meniscus crosses the mark.

4. The stopwatch was pressed to stop when the mark below the bulb was passed.

5. The time at that moment was recorded.

6. The same procedure was repeated twice or thrice and the average was used in calculations.

7. Similarly, the experiment was repeated with chloroform.

8. Then, viscosity was calculated. The viscosity of water at room temperature was used from
the tables (usually water ie 1.0019cps)

RESULT:

Sample T1 T2 T3 Mean
Water 1.07 1.09 1.09 1.09
Chloroform 1.41 1.43 2.14 1.66

CALCULATION:

η1 𝑡1𝑑1
= 𝑡2𝑑2
η2

𝑡2𝑑2
𝜂2 = 𝑡1𝑑1 𝑥 η1

(1.66)(1.49)
𝜂2 = x (1.009cps)
(1.09)(0.997)

2.4734
𝜂2 = x (1.009cps)
1.086

= 2.296 cps
DISCUSSION:

The viscosity of a liquid is its resistance to flow. The Ostwald viscometer, commonly
known as the capillary viscometer, is a tool for determining the viscosity of Newtonian liquids.
The time it takes for a liquid to pass between two markers as it flows by gravity through a
vertical capillary tube can be used to estimate its viscosity. The time of flow of the test liquid
(chloroform) is compared with the time for a liquid of known viscosity usually water to pass
between the two marks. Thus, in this experiment, the liquid used to determine the viscosity is
water. The viscosity of the water is usually 1.0019 cps. So, from this experiment, the viscosity
of chloroform can be determined. The viscosity of the test liquid, η2 is calculated by substituting
the experimental values into the following equation, where η1 and η2 are the viscosity
coefficients of the water and test liquid, t1 and t2 are the time taken for water and chloroform
to flow to pass between two markers, and d1 and d2 are the density of the water and chloroform,
respectively. By using this formula, the viscosity of the chloroform was able to be determined
which is 2.296 cps.

Other than that, temperature, molecular weight, and pressure are all elements that
influence the viscosity of a liquid. To begin with, the temperature of the liquid rises and its
viscosity falls. Following that, as the liquid's molecular weight rises, so does its viscosity.
Finally, increasing the pressure on liquids increases the viscosity because the attraction force
between the liquid molecules rises. And there are also two phenomena that can explain the
viscosity which are shear thinning and shear thickening. Shear thinning is a non-Newtonian
fluid phenomenon in which the viscosity of the fluid reduces as the shear stress increases.
While the shear thickening phenomenon is where the liquids increase in viscosity as stress
increases. During this experiment, there are some precautionary steps that we should
remember which are reading should be noted carefully, the apparatus should be rinsed with
water and after sucking the liquid up to the upper bulb of the tube, the level should be kept
stationary by holding with fingers.

CONCLUSION:

The objective of this experiment was achieved and the viscosity of both given liquids water
1.009cps and chloroform 2.296 cps were determined and the report was submitted.
APPENDICES

Figure 1: Ostwald viscometer with the given

liquids