Mechanical Properties of Fluids
Madhya Pradesh Board · Class 11 · Physics
NCERT Solutions for Mechanical Properties of Fluids — Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 Physics.
Interactive on Super Tutor
Studying Mechanical Properties of Fluids? Get the full interactive chapter.
Quizzes, flashcards, AI doubt-solver and a step-by-step study plan — built for ncert solutions and more.
1,000+ Class 11 students started this chapter today
EXERCISES
9.1Explain why
(a) The blood pressure in humans is greater at the feet than at the brain
(b) Atmospheric pressure at a height of about 6 km decreases to nearly half of its value at the sea level, though the height of the atmosphere is more than 100 km
(c) Hydrostatic pressure is a scalar quantity even though pressure is force divided by area.Show solution
The pressure in a fluid at rest increases with depth according to . The feet are at a much greater vertical distance (height ) below the heart compared to the brain. Therefore, the blood pressure at the feet is greater than at the brain by an amount , where is the height difference between the brain and the feet.
(b) Atmospheric pressure halves at ~6 km:
The atmosphere is not a liquid of uniform density. The density of air decreases rapidly with altitude. Most of the mass of the atmosphere is concentrated in the lower layers (near the Earth's surface). Since pressure at any point equals the weight of the air column above it per unit area, and since most of the atmospheric mass lies below 6 km, the pressure at 6 km is nearly half the sea-level pressure. The upper layers (above 6 km) are very thin and contribute little to the total pressure.
(c) Hydrostatic pressure is a scalar:
Although pressure is defined as force per unit area (), the force here is the normal force exerted by the fluid on a surface. When we say pressure at a point in a fluid, it acts equally in all directions (Pascal's law). There is no unique direction associated with pressure at a point — it has the same magnitude regardless of the orientation of the surface element chosen. Hence, hydrostatic pressure is a scalar quantity.
9.2Explain why
(a) The angle of contact of mercury with glass is obtuse, while that of water with glass is acute.
(b) Water on a clean glass surface tends to spread out while mercury on the same surface tends to form drops.
(c) Surface tension of a liquid is independent of the area of the surface
(d) Water with detergent dissolved in it should have small angles of contact.
(e) A drop of liquid under no external forces is always spherical in shapeShow solution
The angle of contact depends on the relative magnitudes of cohesive forces (between liquid molecules) and adhesive forces (between liquid and solid molecules).
- For mercury–glass: Cohesive forces between mercury molecules are much stronger than the adhesive forces between mercury and glass. The mercury surface curves upward (convex meniscus), giving an obtuse angle of contact (> 90°).
- For water–glass: Adhesive forces between water and glass are stronger than the cohesive forces between water molecules. The water surface curves upward at the edges (concave meniscus), giving an acute angle of contact (< 90°).
(b) Water spreads on glass; mercury forms drops:
- Water on glass: Adhesive force (water–glass) > Cohesive force (water–water). Water molecules are attracted more to glass than to each other, so water spreads out to maximise contact with glass (wets glass).
- Mercury on glass: Cohesive force (mercury–mercury) > Adhesive force (mercury–glass). Mercury molecules prefer to stay together, so mercury pulls itself into drops to minimise contact with glass (does not wet glass).
(c) Surface tension is independent of area of the surface:
Surface tension is a property of the liquid–interface system at a given temperature. It is defined as the force per unit length (or surface energy per unit area) and arises from the intermolecular forces at the surface. These intermolecular forces are intrinsic to the liquid and do not depend on how large the surface is. Hence, surface tension is independent of the area of the surface.
(d) Detergent solution has small angle of contact:
Detergent molecules are surfactants — they have one hydrophilic (water-loving) end and one hydrophobic end. When dissolved in water, they reduce the surface tension of water significantly. A lower surface tension means the adhesive forces between the solution and the solid surface become relatively more dominant, reducing the angle of contact. A smaller angle of contact means better wetting, which is why detergents help in cleaning.
(e) A liquid drop is always spherical under no external forces:
In the absence of external forces, a liquid drop tends to minimise its surface energy (since surface energy = surface tension × area). For a given volume, the shape with the minimum surface area is a sphere. Therefore, surface tension causes the drop to contract to a spherical shape to minimise surface energy.
9.3Fill in the blanks using the word(s) from the list appended with each statement:
(a) Surface tension of liquids generally ... with temperatures (increases / decreases)
(b) Viscosity of gases ... with temperature, whereas viscosity of liquids ... with temperature (increases / decreases)
(c) For solids with elastic modulus of rigidity, the shearing force is proportional to ... , while for fluids it is proportional to ... (shear strain / rate of shear strain)
(d) For a fluid in a steady flow, the increase in flow speed at a constriction follows (conservation of mass / Bernoulli's principle)
(e) For the model of a plane in a wind tunnel, turbulence occurs at a ... speed for turbulence for an actual plane (greater / smaller)Show solution
*Reason*: As temperature increases, the intermolecular forces weaken, reducing surface tension.
(b) Viscosity of gases increases with temperature, whereas viscosity of liquids decreases with temperature.
*Reason*: In gases, viscosity arises from molecular collisions; more collisions at higher temperature → higher viscosity. In liquids, viscosity arises from intermolecular cohesion; higher temperature weakens cohesion → lower viscosity.
(c) For solids with elastic modulus of rigidity, the shearing force is proportional to shear strain, while for fluids it is proportional to rate of shear strain.
*Reason*: Solids resist deformation (Hooke's law: stress ∝ strain). Fluids continuously deform under shear stress, so stress ∝ rate of strain (Newton's law of viscosity).
(d) For a fluid in a steady flow, the increase in flow speed at a constriction follows conservation of mass (equation of continuity: ).
*Reason*: The continuity equation directly gives the increase in speed at a constriction. Bernoulli's principle then explains the pressure change.
(e) For the model of a plane in a wind tunnel, turbulence occurs at a greater speed for turbulence for an actual plane.
*Reason*: The Reynolds number determines onset of turbulence. The model is smaller (smaller ), so to achieve the same (and hence same flow conditions), the speed must be greater for the model.
9.4Explain why
(a) To keep a piece of paper horizontal, you should blow over, not under, it
(b) When we try to close a water tap with our fingers, fast jets of water gush through the openings between our fingers
(c) The size of the needle of a syringe controls flow rate better than the thumb pressure exerted by a doctor while administering an injection
(d) A fluid flowing out of a small hole in a vessel results in a backward thrust on the vessel
(e) A spinning cricket ball in air does not follow a parabolic trajectoryShow solution
By Bernoulli's principle, . When you blow over the paper, the air speed above the paper increases, so the pressure above decreases. The pressure below (atmospheric) is now greater than the pressure above. This net upward pressure difference provides an upward force that keeps the paper horizontal. If you blow under, the pressure below decreases and the paper droops.
(b) Fast jets through finger gaps:
When we partially close the tap with fingers, we reduce the area of cross-section of the opening. By the equation of continuity (), as the area decreases, the velocity of water increases. Hence fast jets gush through the narrow openings between the fingers.
(c) Needle size controls flow rate better than thumb pressure:
By Poiseuille's law, the volume flow rate through a tube is:
The flow rate depends on the fourth power of the radius of the needle. A small change in the needle's radius produces a very large change in flow rate (), whereas the flow rate depends only linearly on the pressure difference . Therefore, the needle size (radius) is a far more sensitive control of flow rate than the thumb pressure.
(d) Backward thrust on the vessel:
This is a consequence of conservation of momentum (Newton's third law). When fluid flows out through a hole with momentum in the forward direction, by Newton's third law, an equal and opposite reaction force (backward thrust) acts on the vessel. This is the same principle as rocket propulsion.
(e) Spinning cricket ball does not follow parabolic trajectory:
A spinning cricket ball experiences the Magnus effect. Due to spin, the ball drags air around it. On one side, the spin-induced air velocity adds to the wind velocity (higher speed, lower pressure by Bernoulli's principle), and on the other side it opposes (lower speed, higher pressure). This pressure difference creates a net sideways (or upward/downward) force called the Magnus force, which deflects the ball from its parabolic trajectory. Hence the ball swings or curves in the air.
9.5A 50 kg girl wearing high heel shoes balances on a single heel. The heel is circular with a diameter 1.0 cm. What is the pressure exerted by the heel on the horizontal floor?Show solution
- Mass of girl,
- Diameter of heel,
- Radius of heel,
-
Force exerted by heel on floor:
Area of heel (circular):
Pressure:
This is about 60 times the atmospheric pressure — very high pressure due to the small area of the heel.
9.6Toricelli's barometer used mercury. Pascal duplicated it using French wine of density 984 kg m⁻³. Determine the height of the wine column for normal atmospheric pressure.Show solution
- Density of wine,
- Normal atmospheric pressure,
-
Concept: At the base of the barometer column, the pressure equals atmospheric pressure:
Solving for height :
This is much taller than the mercury barometer (~0.76 m) because wine is much less dense than mercury ().
9.7A vertical off-shore structure is built to withstand a maximum stress of 10⁹ Pa. Is the structure suitable for putting up on top of an oil well in the ocean? Take the depth of the ocean to be roughly 3 km, and ignore ocean currents.Show solution
- Maximum stress the structure can withstand:
- Depth of ocean:
- Density of sea water:
-
- Atmospheric pressure:
Pressure at depth :
Comparison:
Conclusion: The pressure at the ocean depth of 3 km is approximately Pa, which is well below the maximum stress of Pa that the structure can withstand. Therefore, yes, the structure is suitable for the oil well.
9.8A hydraulic automobile lift is designed to lift cars with a maximum mass of 3000 kg. The area of cross-section of the piston carrying the load is 425 cm². What maximum pressure would the smaller piston have to bear?Show solution
- Maximum mass of car,
- Area of larger piston,
-
Concept: By Pascal's law, the pressure transmitted through the hydraulic fluid is the same everywhere. The pressure on the larger piston equals the weight of the car divided by its area.
Force on larger piston:
Pressure on larger piston (= pressure on smaller piston):
The smaller piston must bear a maximum pressure of approximately Pa.
9.9A U-tube contains water and methylated spirit separated by mercury. The mercury columns in the two arms are in level with 10.0 cm of water in one arm and 12.5 cm of spirit in the other. What is the specific gravity of spirit?Show solution
- Height of water column,
- Height of spirit column,
- Mercury levels are equal in both arms.
- Density of water,
- Let density of spirit =
Concept: Since the mercury levels are the same in both arms, the pressure exerted by the water column on one side must equal the pressure exerted by the spirit column on the other side at the mercury surface level.
Equating pressures at the mercury level:
Specific gravity of spirit:
9.10In the previous problem, if 15.0 cm of water and spirit each are further poured into the respective arms of the tube, what is the difference in the levels of mercury in the two arms? (Specific gravity of mercury = 13.6)Show solution
- Specific gravity of spirit,
- Specific gravity of mercury,
- Additional water poured = 15.0 cm
- Additional spirit poured = 15.0 cm
Setup: Let the mercury level in the water arm fall by cm. Then the mercury level in the spirit arm rises by cm (mercury is incompressible, so the total mercury volume is conserved).
Total height of water column (original 10 cm + 15 cm added + mercury dropped by ):
Total height of spirit column (original 12.5 cm + 15 cm added + mercury rose by , so spirit column effectively loses from below... wait — let me reconsider):
Actually, when mercury in the water arm falls by , the water column above it increases by . When mercury in the spirit arm rises by , the spirit column above it decreases by (spirit is pushed up).
Wait — the spirit column height above mercury = cm.
The water column height above mercury = cm.
Equating pressures at the lower mercury level (in the water arm):
Pressure at the bottom of the water arm mercury surface = Pressure at the bottom of the spirit arm mercury surface.
Let the mercury level difference be (water arm mercury is lower by , spirit arm is higher by ).
Pressure balance at the lower mercury level (water side):
Wait, let me redo this carefully.
Let mercury in the water arm go down by cm and mercury in the spirit arm go up by cm. The difference in mercury levels = .
Pressure at the bottom of the U-tube must be equal from both sides. Taking the reference at the lower mercury surface (water arm side):
Left side (water arm): Pressure =
Right side (spirit arm): Pressure =
Equating:
Substituting , , (in g/cm³, cancels):
Difference in mercury levels:
The mercury level in the spirit arm is higher than in the water arm by approximately 0.24 cm.
9.11Can Bernoulli's equation be used to describe the flow of water through a rapid in a river? Explain.Show solution
Reason:
Bernoulli's equation is valid only under the following conditions:
1. The flow must be steady (streamlined/laminar).
2. The fluid must be non-viscous (ideal fluid).
3. The fluid must be incompressible.
4. The flow must be along a streamline.
In a river rapid, the flow is highly turbulent — the water moves in irregular, chaotic patterns with eddies and whirlpools. The flow is neither steady nor along streamlines. Also, viscous effects and energy dissipation are significant in turbulent flow.
Therefore, Bernoulli's equation, which is based on conservation of energy for steady, non-viscous, incompressible flow, cannot be applied to describe the flow of water through a rapid.
9.12Does it matter if one uses gauge instead of absolute pressures in applying Bernoulli's equation? Explain.Show solution
Explanation:
Bernoulli's equation is:
Gauge pressure is defined as:
If we substitute at both points:
The cancels from both sides:
Since is a constant and appears on both sides, it cancels out. Therefore, using gauge pressures gives the same result as using absolute pressures. It does not matter, provided the same type of pressure is used at both points.
9.13Glycerine flows steadily through a horizontal tube of length 1.5 m and radius 1.0 cm. If the amount of glycerine collected per second at one end is 4.0 × 10⁻³ kg s⁻¹, what is the pressure difference between the two ends of the tube? (Density of glycerine = 1.3 × 10³ kg m⁻³ and viscosity of glycerine = 0.83 Pa s). [You may also like to check if the assumption of laminar flow in the tube is correct].Show solution
- Length of tube,
- Radius of tube,
- Mass flow rate,
- Density of glycerine,
- Viscosity of glycerine,
Step 1: Find volume flow rate :
Step 2: Apply Poiseuille's formula:
Solving for :
Numerator:
Denominator:
Check for laminar flow (Reynolds number):
Average velocity:
Since , the flow is well within the laminar regime. The assumption is correct.
9.14In a test experiment on a model aeroplane in a wind tunnel, the flow speeds on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing are 70 m s⁻¹ and 63 m s⁻¹ respectively. What is the lift on the wing if its area is 2.5 m²? Take the density of air to be 1.3 kg m⁻³.Show solution
- Speed on upper surface,
- Speed on lower surface,
- Area of wing,
- Density of air,
Concept: By Bernoulli's principle (at the same height for both surfaces):
where is pressure on upper surface and is pressure on lower surface.
Pressure difference:
Lift force:
The lift on the wing is approximately 1513 N.
9.15Figures 9.20(a) and (b) refer to the steady flow of a (non-viscous) liquid. Which of the two figures is incorrect? Why?Show solution
Reasoning:
In steady flow of a non-viscous, incompressible liquid, the equation of continuity states:
At a constriction (narrower cross-section), the velocity of flow increases.
By Bernoulli's principle:
At the same height, if velocity increases, pressure must decrease.
In figure (a): The streamlines at the constriction are shown wider apart (suggesting lower velocity) and the pressure gauge shows higher pressure at the constriction. This contradicts both the continuity equation (velocity should be higher at constriction) and Bernoulli's principle (pressure should be lower where velocity is higher).
In figure (b): The streamlines are closer together at the constriction (indicating higher velocity) and the pressure is lower there — consistent with Bernoulli's principle.
Therefore, figure (a) is incorrect because it shows increased pressure at the constriction, whereas the pressure should decrease at the constriction where flow speed increases.
9.16The cylindrical tube of a spray pump has a cross-section of 8.0 cm² one end of which has 40 fine holes each of diameter 1.0 mm. If the liquid flow inside the tube is 1.5 m min⁻¹, what is the speed of ejection of the liquid through the holes?Show solution
- Cross-sectional area of tube,
- Number of holes,
- Diameter of each hole,
- Radius of each hole,
- Speed of liquid in tube,
Area of each hole:
Total area of all 40 holes:
By equation of continuity:
The speed of ejection of liquid through the holes is approximately 0.64 m s⁻¹.
9.17A U-shaped wire is dipped in a soap solution, and removed. The thin soap film formed between the wire and the light slider supports a weight of 1.5 × 10⁻² N (which includes the small weight of the slider). The length of the slider is 30 cm. What is the surface tension of the film?Show solution
- Weight supported by the film,
- Length of slider,
Concept: A soap film has two surfaces. The surface tension force acts along both surfaces of the film.
Total length of contact = (two surfaces)
Force due to surface tension:
At equilibrium, this force balances the weight:
Solving for surface tension :
The surface tension of the soap film is N m⁻¹.
9.18Figure 9.21 (a) shows a thin liquid film supporting a small weight = 4.5 × 10⁻² N. What is the weight supported by a film of the same liquid at the same temperature in Fig. (b) and (c)? Explain your answer physically.Show solution
- Weight supported by film in figure (a),
- Same liquid, same temperature in figures (b) and (c).
Key Concept: Surface tension is a property of the liquid at a given temperature and is independent of the area or shape of the surface. The surface tension (force per unit length) remains the same.
The weight supported by the film depends on the surface tension and the length of contact:
Since the same liquid is used at the same temperature, is the same. If the length of the slider/contact line is the same in all three figures (which is the case as shown in the figures — all have the same length of contact), then:
Physical Explanation:
Surface tension is an intrinsic property of the liquid surface — it does not depend on the area of the film or its shape. The restoring force due to surface tension depends only on the length of the contact line (perimeter) and the surface tension coefficient. Since the contact length is the same in all three cases and the liquid and temperature are identical, the surface tension force (and hence the weight supported) is the same in all three figures.
9.19What is the pressure inside the drop of mercury of radius 3.00 mm at room temperature? Surface tension of mercury at that temperature (20°C) is 4.65 × 10⁻¹ N m⁻¹. The atmospheric pressure is 1.01 × 10⁵ Pa. Also give the excess pressure inside the drop.Show solution
- Radius of mercury drop,
- Surface tension of mercury,
- Atmospheric pressure,
Excess pressure inside a liquid drop:
For a liquid drop (one surface), the excess pressure is:
Total pressure inside the drop:
Summary:
- Excess pressure inside the drop = 310 Pa
- Total pressure inside the drop ≈ 1.0131 × 10⁵ Pa
9.20What is the excess pressure inside a bubble of soap solution of radius 5.00 mm, given that the surface tension of soap solution at the temperature (20°C) is 2.50 × 10⁻² N m⁻¹? If an air bubble of the same dimension were formed at depth of 40.0 cm inside a container containing the soap solution (of relative density 1.20), what would be the pressure inside the bubble? (1 atmospheric pressure is 1.01 × 10⁵ Pa).Show solution
- Radius of bubble,
- Surface tension of soap solution,
- Depth of air bubble,
- Relative density of soap solution = 1.20, so
- Atmospheric pressure,
-
---
Part 1: Excess pressure inside a soap bubble:
A soap bubble has two liquid surfaces (inner and outer), so:
---
Part 2: Pressure inside an air bubble at depth 40 cm in soap solution:
An air bubble in a liquid has only one surface, so:
Pressure outside the air bubble (at depth m):
Pressure inside the air bubble:
Stuck on a step?
Ask Super Tutor AI to explain any solution on this page in a simpler way — free, 24x7.
Ask a Doubt FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What are the important topics in Mechanical Properties of Fluids for Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 Physics?
How to score full marks in Mechanical Properties of Fluids — Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 Physics?
Where can I get free NCERT Solutions for Mechanical Properties of Fluids Class 11 Physics?
Sources & Official References
Content is aligned to the official syllabus. Refer to the board website for the latest curriculum.
More resources for Mechanical Properties of Fluids
Important Questions
Practice with board exam-style questions
Syllabus
What topics to cover
Revision Notes
Key points for last-minute revision
Study Plan
Step-by-step plan to ace this chapter
Flashcards
Quick-fire cards for active recall
Formula Sheet
All formulas in one place
Chapter Summary
Understand the chapter at a glance
Practice Quiz
Test yourself with a quick quiz
Concept Maps
See how topics connect visually
For serious students
Get the full Mechanical Properties of Fluids chapter — for free.
Quizzes, flashcards, AI doubt-solver and a step-by-step study plan for Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 Physics.