Problem Set on General Properties of Matter

Elasticity

1. A metal rod having a coefficient of expansion has its temperature raised by .

2. For glass, the Young’s modulus and the Poisson’s ratio have the values N/m2 and
respectively. Calculate the modulus of rigidity of the glass.

3. A piece of copper wire has twice the radius of a piece of steel wire. One end of the copper wire is joined
to the end of the steel wire so that both can be subjected to the same longitudinal force. By what
fraction of its length will the steel wire be stretched when the length of the copper wire has been
increased by ? Assume that the Young’s modulus of steel is twice that of copper.

4. A gold wire of mm diameter elongates by mm when stretched by a force of 330 g-wt and twists
through a radian, when equal and opposite torques of dyne-cm are applied at its ends. Find the
Poisson’s ratio. (Hint:

5. If one litre of glycerine gets reduced in volume by c.c. under a pressure of kg/cm2, calculate the
Bulk modulus of glycerine.

6. A uniform glass tube is hung from a support and stretched by a weight. It is found that m of the tube
stretches by mm, but that a column of water m long contained in the tube lengthens by only
mm. Find the Poisson’ s ratio of the glass.

7. A circular bar of mm diameter and length cm is rigidly clamped in a vertical position and a couple
of magnitude dyne-cm is applied at a distance of cm below the clamp. This resulted in a
mirror, fixed to the lower end of the bar; deflect a spot-light by mm on a scale m away. Find the
modulus of rigidity of the bar. (Hint: A twist of a reflection of of the beam , where is
the scale-deflection of a scale distance away)

8. A power of kW is transmitted by a shaft of length m and radius cm at a speed of rpm. If the

9. A cylindrical metal bar of length cm and diameter cm is suspended by a wire cm long such that
the axis of the bar is horizontal. The arrangement makes torsonial oscillations in seconds.
Find the rigidity modulus of the material of the wire. Given density of the material of the bar g/c.c.
and the radius of the wire cm. (Hint: )

10. A rod of circular cross-section of length and radius is stretched such that the volume of the rod is
not changed. Show that the Poisson’s ratio is .

11. A suspension thread of length consists of a wire of length and radius , joined to a second wire of
same length and material but of radius . The top end is clamped while the lower end is twisted. Find
the torsional rigidity of the total suspension thread and the ratio of relative angle of twists between the
ends of the two parts. (Hint: Torsional rigidity , where is the couple of twisting torques)
12. Two cylindrical shafts have the same length and mass and are made of the same material – one solid
and the other one is hollow. The external radius of the hollow cylinder is twice the internal radius.
Compare their torsional rigidities and the maximum strains produced by equal twisting torques.

13. The tension of a steel wire of radius mm stretched between two rigid supports m apart is found to
be dyne when the temperature is . At what temperature will the tension on the wire
just vanish? Given, coefficient of linear expansion of steel and Young’s modulus for
steel dyne/cm2.

Mechanics of Ideal Fluids: Bernoulli’s theorem, Pascal’s law,

14. A liquid of density g/c.c. flows along a horizontal tube of variable cross-sections. Compute the
change in pressure when the velocity of flow changes from cm/s to cm/s.

15. A venturimeter has a pipe diameter m and a throat diameter m. The levels of water column in
the two limbs differ by m. Calculate the amount of water discharged through the pipe per hour.
(Hint: Rate of fluid discharge where )

16. Water is maintained at a height of cm in a vessel which has a small circular hole in its thin
horizontal base. The radius of the hole is mm and the area of the free surface is cm2. Find the rate
at which the liquid leaves the vessel if the coefficient of contraction is . If the vessel is cylindrical
and the supply of water is stopped, find the time of the vessel being completely empty. (Hint: same as
venturimeter)

17. A horizontal pipe of cm dia has a constriction of cm dia. The velocity of water in the pipe is m/s
and the pressure is Pa. Calculate the pressure and the velocity in the constriction.

18. Find the form of a vessel of revolution with a small aperture at its lowest point such that the surface of
water in it may descend uniformly. (Hint: Application of Torricelli’s theorem )

19. Steam is rushing from a boiler through a conical pipe, diameters of the ends are and . If and be
the corresponding velocities of the steam and if the motion be supposed to be that of divergence from
the vertex of the cone, then show that

where is the ratio of pressure to the density which is supposed to be a constant.

20. Air flows horizontally past an aeroplane wing of area m2 and weighing kgf (1 N = 0.102
kgf). The speed over the top surface is m/s and that under the bottom surface is m/s. Find
the lift force and the net force on the wing.

21. A pipe of varying diameter is used to lift water by m. The area of cross-section of the pipe at the base
is cm2 and the pressure here is Pa. At the top, the area of cross-section is cm2. The
rate of flow of water is m /s. Calculate the pressure of water at the top, neglecting the energy
3

losses.
22. Water is flowing through a vertical tube. The radius of the tube at a point is cm and that a point Q is
0.5 cm, Q being cm below P. Find the rate of water flow through the tube if the pressure differs
by cm of water between the points P and Q.
23. An ideal gas of molecular weight at a temperature is flowing steadily and isothermally through a
narrow pipe of varying cross-section and varying height above the ground. Show that the velocity
of the gas and the cross-section of the tube at any two arbitrary points (say 1 and 2) in it is related by

24. A tank is filled with water up to a height . A hole is punched on one of its walls at a depth below the
water surface. If be the horizontal range, from the foot of the wall, of the stream striking the floor,
show that . Is it possible to punch a second hole at another depth to have the same
range? If yes, at what depth?

Surface Tension

25. Calculate the work-done in spraying a drop of mercury of mm radius into million identical droplets,
all of the same size. Surface tension of mercury dyne/cm.

26. A soap bubble of surface tension N/m is slowly enlarged from a radius of m to a radius
m. Calculate the work-done in the operation.

27. There is a minute circular hole at the bottom of a small hollow vessel. The vessel has to be immersed in
water to a depth of 40 cm before any water penetrates inside. Find the radius of the hole if the surface
tension and density of water are dyne/cm and g/c.c. respectively.

28. A ring of wire cm in radius is rested flat on the surface of a liquid and is then raised. The pull required
is g more before the film breaks than it is after. Calculate the surface tension of the liquid.

29. Two spherical bubble of diameters cm and cm respectively are formed, one at each end of a
narrow horizontal glass. What is the pressure difference between the ends of the tube? Take
cgs.

30. Find the difference in heights of mercury in the two limbs of a U-tube if the diameters of the limbs be
mm and mm respectively. Surface tension of mercury is N/m, density of mercury
kg/m3 and the angle of contact with the walls of the tube .

31. The tube of a mercury barometer is mm in diameter. What error is introduced in the reading because
of surface tension of mercury? Given surface tension of Hg cgs, , density of mercury
cgs and cm/s .2

32. Two spherical soap bubbles having radii cm and cm respectively coalesce so as to have a part of
their surface common. What is the radius of curvature of the common surface? (Hint: )

33. If the rate of change of surface energy of a liquid at a certain temperature be directly proportional to
the absolute temperature, show that , where are constants.

34. Calculate the minimum aqueous vapour pressure to prevent the evaporation of a drop of water of
radius mm at . Given density of saturated aqueous vapour at g/c.c., surface
tension of water at dyne/cm and saturated aqueous vapour pressure at over a plane surface
 is dyne/cm2. (Hint: where is the minimum aqueous vapour pressure
required to prevent evaporation and are densities of aqueous vapour and water respectively)

35. If a number of droplets of radius coalesce to form a single droplet of radius, show that there will be
a rise in temperature given by

36. Calculate the radius of the largest drop of water that can evaporate at without heat being
communicated to it. Surface energy of water erg/cm2 and latent heat of evaporation at
is cal/g. (Hint: )

37. Two spherical soap bubbles coalesce. If in the process be the change in volume of the air inside and
be the change in the total surface area, show that , where S is the surface tension and P
is the atmospheric pressure.

38. A soap bubble hanging in air from the end of an open glass tube shrinks by the action of surface
tension. Show that it is possible to prevent the bubble from collapsing by giving it a strong electric
charge. Calculate the limiting diameter for a maximum electric field of KV/cm. The surface tension
of the liquid is dyne/cm. (Hint: )

39. Two soap bubbles of radii and coalesce to form a single bubble of radius . If the external pressure
is , prove that the surface tension of the solution from which bubbles are formed is

40. Show that the expression for the electric charge required to expand a soap bubble to twice its radius,
say from to , in terms of the atmospheric pressure and the surface tension is

41. If the mass of a gas inside a soap bubble is doubled, find the relation connecting the new radius with
the initial radius .

42. A soap bubble of radius is blown on a tube with a solution of surface tension . The tube on which the
bubble is blown is connected to a vessel of volume filled with air at atmospheric pressure . Prove
that the bubble will shrink until its radius is if

43. Show that the vertical force required to detach a horizontal flat circular plate of radius from the
surface of a liquid of density and surface tension is given by .

44. The interiors of a cylindrical and a spherical soap bubble are put into communication. Find the ratio of
the radii of the sphere and the cylinder so that the bubbles may stay in equilibrium. (Hint: Equate the
excess pressures)
 Viscosity
45. Water is flowing with a speed of cm/s through a pipe of diameter mm. Calculate Reynold’s
number. Is the flow streamline? Given poise.

46. In a certain experiment on liquid flow through a capillary tube, the following data were obtained.
Length of the tube cm, radius of the tube mm, head of the liquid cm, liquid issuing/minute
c.c. and density of the liquid g/c.c. Calculate the coefficient of viscosity.

47. A flat plate of area m2 is separated from a large flat surface by a film of oil of uniform
thickness mm and viscosity Ns/m2. Determine the force required to slide the plate over
the surface at a velocity of m/s.

48. Calculate the terminal velocity of an air bubble of m radius rising in water of viscosity
Ns/m2. The density of water is kg/m3. Neglect the density of air with respect to the density of
water.

49. A large bottle is fitted with a siphon made of capillary glass tubing. Compare the coefficients of
viscosity of water and petrol, if the time taken to empty the bottle in the two cases is in the ratio .
Specific gravity of petrol is . (Hint: )

50. Water flows through a horizontal tube of length cm and internal radius cm under a constant
head of the liquid cm high. In minutes c.c. of liquid issue from the tube. Calculate the
viscosity of water and check whether the flow is streamline or not. Given , density of water
g/c.c. and g/cm .
2

51. Two capillary tubes LM and MN are joined end to end at M. Lengths of the tubes are m& m
and diameters are m and m respectively. A vessel of water having constant head
of m is held vertically at L and the end N is open to the atmosphere. Find the pressure at point M.

52. Two drops of water of the same size are falling through air with terminal velocities of m/s each. If the
drops combine to form a new larger drop, what will be the new terminal velocity?

53. A horizontal tube of mm bore is joined to another horizontal tube of mm bore. Water enters at the
free end of the first tube at a pressure of cm of water above the atmosphere and leaves the free end
of the second tube at atmospheric pressure. Calculate the pressure at the junction of the tubes if the
lengths of the tubes are equal.

54. A capillary tube of radius and length is fitted horizontally at the bottom of a cylindrical flask of
cross-section . Initially, there is water in the flask up to a height . Show that the time required to
reduce the height to , if is the viscosity of water, is

55. Two vertical cylindrical vessels of equal cross-section are joined at their bases by a narrow
horizontal tube of length and internal radius . Initially, the liquid surfaces at the two vessels are at
heights and respectively above the capillary tube. Show that the time taken for the difference in
level to become , if is the viscosity and is the density of the liquid and the flow is assumed to be
slow, is

Also show that if the second vessel with the lower level of liquid is removed, the time for the liquid to
 fall from to is

56. An air bubble of radius cm is allowed to rise through a long cylindrical column of a liquid of radius
cm. It moves at a steady rate of cm/s. If the density of the liquid is g/c.c., find the viscosity of
the liquid at the temperature of the experiment.

57. The cross-sectional radius of a pipeline decreases following the relation where m-1
and is the distance (in m) from the pipeline inlet. Calculate the ratio of Reynold’s number for two
cross-sections separated by m.

58. Liquid flows in streamline through a horizontal tube of length and radius under a pressure
difference between the ends. If a coaxial cylindrical rod of radius and length is inserted into the
tube, find the percentage of reduction in the flow rate under the same pressure difference.

59. Two circular horizontal discs of radius cm and mm apart are separated by a layer of oil of
viscosity c.g.s. The upper disc is fixed while the lower one is revolved about a vertical axis by the
tangential pull of a string, the tension in which is dynes. The string is unwrapped from a circular
cylinder of radius cm coaxial with the disc and fastened rigidly to it. Find the time taken by the
rotating system to complete one revolution.

60. A body of mass is falling through a viscous fluid; the resistance of the medium is proportional to the
square of the velocity. Find the expression giving the position of the body at time .

61. A horizontal tube of mm diameter and length cm is connected to the bottom of a cubical tank of
side cm containing water of viscosity Poise. The tank is initially full. Water is then allowed to
flow out through the tube. Find the time after which the tank will be a quarter full.

62. A sphere of radius , made of material density , falls through a fluid with terminal velocity .
Another sphere of radius , made of material density , falls through the same fluid with terminal
velocity . Assuming the viscous drag for these particles to be , show that the viscosity of the
fluid is given by