EXPERIMENT 5

Viscosity.
Ostwald Viscosimeter
and Falling-Ball Methods.

RE FERENCES :

Physical Chemistry, Daniels and Alberty, 7975 Chapter lI

Physical Chemistry, , et aL., L964
Eggers Chapter 13

Fundamental-s of Physical Chemistry, Crockford

and Knight, 1964 Chapter 3

Physical Chemistry, , L972

I4oore Chapter 19

Physical Chemistry, Castellan, 197L Chapter 29

Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry, l4aron

and Lando, l-974 Chapter 1

Physical Chemistry, Barro\,r, L973 Chapter I9

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this experiment is to study the determination of --:-

viscosity of liquids by means of the Ostwald viscosimeter method anc --:*
falling-baII method.
The Ostwald procedure will also be used to study the effect of --=r-
perature change on viscosity.

62
 63
Experi ment 5

f;SCUSSION:
mobile
is a familiar one'' Lessn';i'L?r,,...r,
The general concept of. viscosity

the tr[-r itooo or iiq"ia rs determined bv its

;i=xl3i,"r;:":i"i:?#[i,i;tiiifuii:;i]=;fi.:r':,r'oti]:,3
i
ir may be state-Lhat
vis cositY. t
Mo re exac t rv, t1: :-' " l :t::ii":"ffi :' ?? ::3"?Ir:"
"1l jji:-j "t"?I;3'" "
noving past another |ayer i?^:i::=I.'*Ia-""-f Loncentric layers' ?'.
:,iiii:i{ itii;ii{:i':-!ii?krit*1fl:'H.?fu:::ff;
warr remalns staionarv if Y":::ln.;: ::: ;;i;;il witir
il -tr'is a verocitv ;^"
:;i:i"l::i:i- that
known is
imiiif ,:"ffi: i:l;:,-!I'inn"i:o:n:"":r,;;;;;;'-
i"
srreamrine r,r*-and In"r,.r;.I"rira-by
ti;";r="tt of'eddies and tur-
ttE"liltnl-it'this tvpe or flow'
1"

bulence in g"r,r.r. trr"*iieticar

proper;;;;;;*ed internal friction' -
is nsidered to have a rhe masnitude
rhe liquid o'i'.-r,i'trr.ii"i";;li,',"r=l a Liqud
which resisrs I-*orr.menr iiquia' ov'
derermin"=-irr"-t'isltsity"i*lr'"'
of rhis rrictin of L dyne pno tuo pav'allel
n uhLch a force L'"nrt-met-e'r apait "^n':'imetet'causes oeloctv
othe'' ktt' aThe
to
"qTo:n^
".rrkz'jr;;^.2it" L pose'
LiquLd. sura"z-r- d'efinnq-o"
of L centimeter pey, s??onq,-' ,t'"- ri"-")"ty*"i"
r"pr"rit'ry the Gre'ek LelLer eta
cefficient of viscosity is usuarry
(n).
Theinstrumentmostusedinthedeterminationofviscosityisthe
ostwai d -,i =.o = i*1"'' shown i:.?::titl ;L;;;::*;ryi J"1l::13;"[', ^"*
.,, n. added o$"i]"ofii:::-:l;:"1n.'":
for =:::ik:o..'
snaPPr
I"".= the chance Tl *"hod deter-
at the bottom.'u"a' ti=- instrument consists
mining viscost;y";;;;
iil;, ;i ;l::-:f.:ool:I*"::'"*"
in measurins '" -;i'll"-,

H
:? iI u''i Il
3" I ',i? " :" : i:l? t ^?3:*B: "

1 iiu$",l.:=[**#ndx*1ir*fl;l::""'-'
;;-e-ostward Procedure :
il;ilHi"
(r)
A-bulb, 2 ml =- n r4pt
30 cm B - coPi llorY " 8v,[
C - glos rod io
Provide ri glditY pressure on the
in which p is the hydrostatic
tr'" "t'=itv) ' t isof the
i)
\
liquid (p,opoti;;";i-; tft" radius
time of flow lt-totds'- r i" the capillary'
'
\

the tube, l' i""tE"i""ir'-:f

\ in centimet"'=,"iu"l i: :1" "iliil:";i il:
I igure 5-L'
*i: :? ls'in:"?:lT*!li''"^i;;";;i""uirle
equation, "n"iiJ"
til' *1-Y"T=ffi:?:T'::".;:;
given
"
vrs
itr*""aalrY for a
Ostwald viscosimeter'
61 LaboratorY Manua 1

theabsoluteviscositycanbecalculated,theusualprocedurels.-:
minetheviscosityrelativeto-"referenc"-=.,=t.nceataSelec."e]--:
ture.Thisi=-li*.dthe'"Iti,"viscosit}.tr{aterat25oCis:S.':''
,-,="a ." the reference liquid'
Toobtaintherefative.viscosityof-asubstanceatagiven--=:-;
ft""ti* temperature a:-*
f flow at thatwater
it is necessary to measure
same.1"l*" of in a in the sa::=
if*I;;-;l;; for the
-iir,." *.-pi.==,tt or'liq"id viscosime--::
corresponding :
cosimerer ar 2;;a: i;";;;-a"''=itv' nd since the terr:'s t::--
rhe rype used'i=-proportionjl it. follows
iot.noi'i-"ia= equation:
'
and !. in eguarion- (rl are .rr
"*" ny-tr'e foltowing
ratio of the viscosrties i"'iii'"
nt dttt
rt2 =
ry;
rf substance 2 is-the
i unitv' rhen :"f?:"::i.li:i:3'
nI 1".:^"t,t\";:*":lo}'=ffi:i:ii[i:x^j?=tflq^Frt,'-1
;i;;-;;" equation Q) tc : :::;
: :
""r".
lli"hE.:i:t,t:T";"i:"15'i? #l''Iin!?l';;;-'; i ive t tr'e vis c -
"t
of water at 25"C'
Oncetherefativeviscosityisknown'theabsoluteviscosityca: tr'" substance b'' :
calcutared v *rrliptyl:g^t;:';riiv-"i;"=itv*i
ii=."=ity of water at 25"c'
iiq"i='
Theostwaldprocedure.isnotsuitableforthedeterminationa".-,': + p'ocedure o:=-:
viscosity of hishrv -t'19
*?9;;";;iv "isto's '
rhis consists ir' :-:
used for such rqu-ias is tr,'?iii"n-otrr'*i"'- densirv to rall ---:
minins the tim';;;;"-.lv-;;.';-;i.uir-u.rr'"i"x""*',
i"'i;";;;;""iiq"i and in the lisu:-: '
a fixed disrance in. "orro,ii'o?
viscositY we wish to measure '
is quite. wrLrr tlvuv;;iit than the radius o: --:
nreci3l-*l:n-T:*":::il'"'"i3i"?nl'?I13;
quite- precrse
rhe method is
The
iie ":=:.:
iarrins
-rh; reference
.o" Iiquid ::-:
iix##t;:l1H"i::'.il::: !? ? -Ll;-;;;;.,"
cused by rhe ,=;ri;--.1tio,',lr;-;rii.r.v"'ll iyt"'it' or castor oiI ma'{=:
of course, i..rl=l'ra',"r-f.,igh..i"cosity-'
reference substance'
;;-;;iractrv viscosity bi- --
of relative
The formula used for the
determination
f af f-ini-ball method
follows:
n1 (ds - dr) tr (i
nz (ds - d2) L2

are the densities of the

falting sPhe::
dr, and d2
In this eguation. ' reSpectivelY at the temperature ,9f . the -experimen--
d= '
the t';:
"a tft" two liquids for the sPhere to faII a given distance in
The times necessary
media are t, and t2'
 65
Experiment

there-
rot ' good resultsmethod
fheeffectoftemperaturechangeonviscosityispronounced,the
*itrr- a"*j.traue -incr"t=t ' '
viscosity a".rIr"ir.,g ;[;;""a tr'"=ii'ar vicosimeter
rore, both tn"=?iiii":rrra constant temperature'
must be carrred ut at Relative viscosity is
viscosity i= t13 poise'
The absolute unit 9f- i= mt'"iv a ratio'
not expressed ii-"'v-"it' "i;;;-it

CHEMICALS:
APPARATUS AND
stoP watch; tube
baths ;'"Lr,"i
constant-temperature or serected
Ostwald viscosimeter; s-7)
t=t""niiure La:'I'methanol
;' caliPeri iron
for f alling-nuii-iir'a
ri-qui"'''-'---i'''' -stual"Jitl-
bearinss ; ";;;;;,
liquid ort"o tilip=i t'=tor oit; glyceror'
supports

:
EXPERI MENTAL PROCEDURE

ostwat d Viscosimeter Method

erer (Fisur: ?;11 grrhl=nil.n
tl:^:=::i::r:,1;:"=iT;;-.i-
rhoroushry crean i.=t - l-
a gooo ur=.rrred warer
a quantitv "tu"i-t*". ut
.f"a.ri.rg soiution or i.,trorr". ;;"-9ip3tte-
*rt"-rl"
disrirled vi='o'=i*"1i L,!&$
tr'ut '*iii^'riri 'tn:'Y"":*:'"?lY?:""? Ir'' "ttom burb
inro the the rower
I he LrrtE ;il[-;:ll:i*,,:X'13;;"',n
rhe same rime "i"lf-frus a much larger r o ,_
m

I:t:-:" i; ":" li.?]:li :i * *:'::;:,

3,,?lu
t ?:ffi:':t3'X' i 3;;- ;; - l':.Y-iE,';,i;*:.1"
A
It.?*":- equilibrium' "o"
pu'l."lnlni'lli;"il-
icrrea to the F;
I ;;;;;-."n ;:?:ii: ti*" neces-
be used :.:-:::: IIo time neces-
ffi::'.i3"o1?o"il'
::;; ii.'r''-l:i:lJi.'ru:':i
;;;'* T'Ik 1.1?.io.,". rhe valiJs-should
i.l;
t:":t== i

i :

T four determrna ,l::i"i:l:^"1":i"*::'-

\
30cm
asree wirhin,
?3ffi:':ixi'";l,i-:"::i3,*?:"x?'"'"=*:i"
than *ip"t.the measure- I]
25" , 30" an{l J.:tl
19:2.-9: -
i

I
rt' i: ""ttssary
' tto-tr'tt'-t tr't \ I

ments using-*"ir'''of
to use . "o't'*E":ti:;i \ I I ..i
I rr""." substance ' \ l-.:X-H'fJ
Fal l'i nq-Bal I Method
shown in Figure P;.duY'e 5-2'
-'
Note tha! the tube
300 mT'rons and 32
5-2 is approxrmirv two markings on the Falling-bal1 v:iscosimeter'
mm in diameter':*-T
66 Laboratory flanua I

tube can be made by means of a glass marking pencil. The upper:::=i-:

be at least 3 in. below the top of the tube. Note the whichshort 1en5:--:i
approximately 8-mm glass tubing in the stopper through the ba--
bearings are introduced.
Calculate the average volume of t.he ball bearings from the av=::;mr:
diameter as measured wiLh a vernier caliper. Weigh a selected nu::i=:
ball bearings. Determine the density from the average weight and a;::
volume of the bearings.
FiIl the falling-baIl tube with glycerol. Place the tube in a
:::
constant-temperature bath adjusted Lo 25oc t0.20. Allow about 30
with a s
for the oil to come to thermt- equilibrium and then measuremark
watch the time required for four of the balls to fall from a --:
b. Calculate the average of these times.
repeat:
Transfer the tube to a bath adjusted to 35oc !0.2o andother
determination. Clean the tube thorughly with methanol or sc-
and repeat the measurement at 35oC with castor oil'

UTILIZATION OF DATA:

In the Ostwald viscosimeter method the densities of water and i'-=--:'n*

Critical Ta:-:s''''
nol may be obtained from a handbook or the International
^By means of wa:=:--
or the! may be determined with a Westphal balance. equa:-:r:
(2) calculate the viscosity of water t 30oC and 35oC relative topoise -m
Then using the value of 0.008904
\&/
25"C taken as unit viscosily.
the absolute viscosity of water at 25oc, calculate the "i:::-::4
do your values compare "P:91::"
with those gI-'-::
of water at 300c and 350c. How
in the handbook?
In the falling ball method take glycerol at 25oC as 9.54 poise e:-
solute riscosity aid use the following quation to find its density a--
various temperatures:

= 1L.2727 + r0-3 ot * 10-6 gL2 + l0-9 Yt3l s/nl where t is the

Qr
Celsius temPerature at which p is desired and o = -0.5506, B = -I.Oli '

and y = *I .-ZlO.l
viscosity of glyc=::-
use this information to calculate Lhe absolute grlmI
of- O'950 may be used ::
at 35oc. For castor oil the value ?35oC =
thecalculationofitsviscosityatthrstemperaEure.

Taken from V.5, fnternational Critical TabLes (1928), p' 28'

 Experiment 5 67

COMMENTS TO THE INSTRUCTOR:

An interesting study results from the

at some fixed temperature, say 25oC, for thedetermination
following
of the viscosity
water-methanol-
mixtures: 95, 75,50, 25,10; 5 vorume-? methanol in water. This is the
same set of mixtures recommended for the surface
iment 6). The-mixtures are prepared ahead of timetension experiment (Exper-
and stored in glass
stoppered bottles. The density of each solution aL 25oC is measuied by
an assistant using the westphal balance and rhe mixtures ;;.^ t;;;i. liu.,
the appropriate density. vi-scosity values are calculated relative to
lnTater (or absolute viscosity values may be calcul-ated) and these are plot-
ted versus composition of the mixtures*.
An individual student can normalty complete
temperatures, the mixtures of water-melhanol, or thethe
two liquids at three
falling ball work in
the course of a single 3-hour working period.
Whenever values of n at three or more temperatures
a plot of In n versus 1/T shoutd be made. The slope of have been measured
AT.ri=./R, according to the Arrhenius equaton. Where AEr,1=.i_splot
this
the
eguals
activa-
tr-on energy for viscous flow.

,/