PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT
2019-20

BY – ankit kumar,

XI a

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 Index
Contents page no.
 Introduction 4
 Aim 4
 Materials required 5
 Theory 5-7
 Procedure 8
 Observation and calculation 8-9
 Result 9-10
 Precaution 11
 Sources of error 11
 Conclusion 11-12
 Bibliography 12

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 Acknowledgement

I Ankit Kumar of standard XI of aps Rkpuram, Secundrabad like to

thank our principal K.Damris madam For giving me a good chance for
creating such an Investigatory project. I extent my heartful thanks to
almighty god for giving whole support throughout this work. I extent
my sincere gratitude to most respectful physics teacher Mrs.Deepa
Santhosh mam for giving me valuable suggestion and advise for
completing my project in a successful manner. I extent my sincere
thanks to my parents for Encouragement and support throughout my
project. I also extent my thanks to all my classmates for the help and
support.

I n t r o d u c t I o n:
This project is about viscosity of fluids. In this project I have
taken some engine oils (which are not recommended for a

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diesel car) and tested them to find that which one of them is
best suitable for a diesel car. I have done this by the help the
experiment performed on viscosity of fluids.
I have taken the following oils :-
1. MAK Gold 40 (for bikes)
2. Servo 4T (for bikes)
3. HP Milcy Turbo (for trucks)
4. Castrol Active (for trucks)

A I m:
To compare the viscosity of different engine oils at a given
temperature and thereby determine the most effective one for a
diesel car.

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M a t e r I a l s r e q u I r e d:
1. Metre high, 5cm broad cylindrical glass tube
2. Metre scale alongside tube
3. High density carbon steel balls
4. Screw gauge
5. Stop watch
6. String
7. Assorted engine oils

T h e o r y:
Why is engine oil used and how does it work?
Motor oil or engine oil is used for lubrication of various internal
combustion engines.
The main function is to reduce wear (deterioration due to friction) on
moving parts. When the pistons of the engine move back and forth
they wear out the sides of the cylinder block, the oil creates a layer
that lets them move smoothly.
It also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the
engine by carrying heat away from moving parts.
How is engine oil rated?
How it is rated: Engine oils can be made of singular polymers (single
grade) or multiple polymers (multi grade) and are rated accordingly.
These differ in their viscosity, and therefore, in their uses. The SAE

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gives a single grade to engine oils. However, single grade oils cannot
withstand the variety of conditions vehicles today are put through.
Therefore, multi grade oils are more popular. These behave as
differently rated single grade oils under different temperature
conditions. Under cold conditions, the oil is thin enough to grease
the engine and allow for proper ignition and running. Under high
engine temperatures, the oil only thins to a particular extent so as to
keep the engine sufficiently lubricated.
Multi grade ratings are in the form xWy (eg. 5W40). 'W' is the winter
rating which shows that the oil has been tested to work under cold
conditions. The 'x' number tells us which single grade polymer the oil
behaves like under cold conditions. The lower the number, the less
viscous the oil and better the performance in low temperatures. The
'y' number tells us the single grade polymer as much as which the oil
thins at high temperatures.
The rating is primarily based on the viscosity of the engine oils.
Hence, it is evident that viscosity is the single most important
characteristic deciding the efficiency of these oils. Different polymer
combinations are made to essentially alter the viscosity of the oil at
different temperatures.
What is Viscosity?
It is the property of a fluid by virtue of which an internal resistance
comes into play when the fluid is in motion, and opposes the motion
between its different layers. In a vehicle engine, viscosity determines
how easily the motor oil flows to different parts of the engine.
Coefficient of Viscosity.
When liquid flows over a flat surface, the liquid layer in contact with
the fixed surface does not move. Higher layers move forward with
increasing velocity. Due to relative motion, a backward dragging
force F acts tangentially to every layer. This force is proportional to

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the speed (v) of the layer, the area (A) of the layer and inversely
proportional to their separation (x). Combining these factors we have
the following:
F = ηA (v/x)
In the equation, the constant of proportionality (η) is called the
coefficient of viscosity, which varies for every fluid.
Stokes Law
It was shown by Stokes Law that if a small sphere of radius r be
moving with a terminal v through an infinite homogeneous and
incompressible fluid of coefficient of viscosity η, it experiences a
force F given by,
F = 6πηrv (This relation is known as Stokes Law)
Terminal Velocity
This is the maximum velocity acquired by the body falling freely in a
viscous medium.
Consider a small sphere of radius (r) and density (ρ) falling freely in a
viscous medium (coefficient of viscosity η and density σ).
Total downward force = Weight of sphere – up-thrust
F = (4/3) π r3 (ρ – σ) g
This is equal to the upward force of viscosity = 6πηrv ∴ 6πηrv = (4/3)
π r3 (ρ – σ) g

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Procedure:
1. 850 ml of the oil was weighed and the density was found out
2. The jar was cleaned and filled with the motor oil up to a 97 cm
(850 ml) marker.
3. Two loops of string were tied around the lower part of the glass
tube, 50 cm apart: one at 65 cm and the other at 15 cm.
4. A high density carbon steel shot was measured and weighed to
determine its density
5. The carbon steel shot was dropped into the liquid.
6. The timer was started when the shot reached the first string (at
terminal velocity) and stopped when it reached the second one.
7. Three readings were taken for each engine oil and the
observations were noted.

O b s e r v a t I o n:
Radius of carbon steel ball = 1.905mm (r)
Density of carbon steel ball = 549.45 kg/m3 (ρ)
Density of all oils = 0.84 g/cm3 = 840 kg/m3 (σ)
Ambient temperature = 25oc

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 C a l c u l a t I o n s:
TIME TAKEN IN DIFFERENT OILS

OIL NAME TIME(SECONDS) AVERAGE

TIME
T1 T2 T3
Mak gold 40 3.51 3.35 3.41 3.42
Servo 4T 3.01 3.06 3.03 3.03
HP Milcy turbo 2.86 2.66 2.71 2.74
Castrol active 3.1 3.01 3.08 3.06

TERMINAL VELOCITY IN DIFFERENT OILS

OIL NAME TERMINAL VELOCITY (M/S)
Mak gold 40 0.146
Servo 4T 0.165
HP Milcy turbo 0.182
Castrol active 0.137

R E S U L T:
There are a wide range of factors that must be taken into consideration to
choose the right engine oil. Engine oil ratings are based on the viscosity of
the oil, but these ratings aren’t exactly accurate. Each of these oils falls
under a
SAE 40 rating, but they have different viscosities.
The rating of engine oils therefore is based on a factor known as kinematic
viscosity. Kinematic viscosity in turn is the ratio between dynamic viscosity
(absolute viscosity) and the density of the liquid. These values are then
divided into ranges and then SAE ratings.

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The kinematic viscosity however will not be constant at a given temperature.
The density of liquids decreases with increase in temperature. This is
because when temperature rises so does volume. When volume rises the
density decreases.
Therefore we must also look at the coefficient of thermal expansion of
engine oils in order to calculate the new density and in turn, kinematic
viscosity.
Volumetric Expansion
ΔV = α ΔT
(V-Volume, α-Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, T-Temperature)
Change in Density
ρ1 = ρ0 / [1 + α ( t1 - t0 )]
(ρ – Density, α- Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, t-Temperature)
Kinematic Viscosity
ν=μ/ρ
(ν = kinematic viscosity, μ = absolute or dynamic viscosity, ρ = density)
Viscosity Index
VI = (L - U)/ (L - H) * 10
(U - kinematic viscosity, L and H – kinematic viscosity of the reference oils)

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 P R E C A U T I O N S:
1. Liquid should be transparent so that the motion of ball can be
carefully observed.
2. Ball should be perfectly spherical.
3. Velocity should be noted omly when it becomes constant.

S o u r c e s of error:
1. The liquid may not have uniform density.
2. The ball may not be perfectly spherical.
3. The noted velocity may not be constant.

C o n c l u s I o n:
This equation puts all the values of kinematic viscosity of the oils in
the SAE 40 Range. Therefore any of the oils may be used as SAE 40 is
suitable for prolonged use in cars.
But in order to compensate for the grime build-up and the fact that
the engine may have to start in colder weather as it is specified that
the car is on its way to a hill station, the least viscous oil should be
used. This oil will ensure it doesn’t get too thick at lower
temperatures and will still flow.
With a dynamic viscosity of 0.023698 Kg/m3 and a kinematic
viscosity of 289

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cSt, HP Milcy Turbo is the ideal engine oil.

B I b I l o g r a p h y:
1. D.J. Tritton: Physical Fluid Dynamics
2. G.K. Batchelor: Introduction to Fluid Dynamics
3. S. Chandrasekhar: Hydrodynamics and Hydromagnetic Stability
4. Segel: Mathematics Applied to Continuum Mechanics Dove
5. H.C.Verma: Introduction to physics
6. www.wikipedia.org
7. www.google.com
8. Physics class 11 practical book.

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