Viscosity Experiment

Purpose 1 : To determine the flow rate of five different fluids ( i.e, syrup, water, dish soap, vinegar, vegetable oil )

Purpose 2 : To determine how temperature affects the flow rate of five different fluids ( i.e, syrup, water, dish soap, vinegar, vegetable oil)

Hypothesis 1: I hypothesize that the flowrate from highest to lowest will be water,vinegar,soap,oil, and then syrup. Syrup is the thickest fluid out of the other four fluids (water,soap,vinegar,oil) when a fluid is thick, it has a low flow rate and high viscosity. For example, when you pour syrup the syrup comes out much slower than when you pour water,vinegar,soap,or oil. This happens because the syrup has a low flow rate, Due to these facts, I hypothesize that the syrup will have the highest flow rate. Water is the thinnest fluid out of the other four fluids, when a fluid is thin, it has a high flow rate and low viscosity. For example, when you drink a bottle of water, the water flows out of the bottle much quicker than syrup,oil,vinegar,or dish soap would flow out of a bottle. Due to those facts I predict that water will have the highest flow rate.

Hypothesis 2 : I hypothesize that when the temperature increases the flow rate of the fluid will become higher than it originally was. I hypothesize this because the particle theory states that particles at a higher temperature move faster than particles at a lower temperature. I predict that when we heat up a fluid, the fluids particles will start moving faster causing the fluids velocity to get higher as well, when the fluids velocity increases I predict that its flow rate will increase as well. I hypothesize that when the temperature decreases, the flow rate of the fluid will become lower than it originally was. I hypothesize this because the particle theory states that particles at a lower temperature move slower than particles at a higher temperature. I predict that when we cool down a fluid, the fluids particles will start moving slower which will cause the fluids velocity to decrease as well, when the fluids velocity decreases I predict that the flow rate will decrease as well.

Materials

In order to complete this experiment, you will need these following items: 3 Large beakers, 15 Test tubes with lids, 15 small marbles (small enough to fit inside of test tubes),2 stopwatches, Hot water,Cold water,
Room temperature water, Ice cubes, Coffee pot, one ruler.
Variables
1. Independent Variable : Temperature of five different fluids
2. Independent Variable : Five different fluids
Dependent Variable : Flow rate

Controlled Variables
Maintaining a constant temperature
Starting and stopping the timer at the same time each time
Flipping the test tube at the same speed
Keeping the angle of the test tube the same
Maintaining same amount of fluid in each test tube
Making sure there are no bubbles in the fluids

Procedure
1. Obtain five test tubes filled with five different fluids at room temperature (syrup,soap,vinegar,oil,water) with a small marble in each test tube.
2. Measure the amount of fluid in each test tube with a ruler and record how many centimeters of fluid is inside.
3. Flip each test tube and time how long it takes for the marble to reach one end of the test tube to the other, with a stopwatch .
4. Record how long it took for the marble to travel through the fluid.
5. Repeat steps one through four with test tubes that are at a cool temperature and at a heated temperature.

Observations

Fluids
Room Temperature
Cooled
Heated
Syrup
thick, brown, slow, pastey very thick, lighter colour,extremely slow,cold thin, quicker, light caramel colour.
Soap

blue, thick, resembles gel bubbly in middle, slower, cold quicker, thinner, light blue, resembles liquid gel
Vinegar
clear, thin, swirls down much quicker, cold, thin consistency quicker, thinner, few bubbles, transparent
Oil
transparent , tinted yellow, thin slightly yellow,thicker,resembles liquid hand soap quicker, non -