Viscous Force on Falling Ball – Rankers Physics
Topic: Solid and Fluids
Subtopic: Surface Tension and Viscosity

Viscous Force on Falling Ball

The velocity of a small ball of mass \(M\) and density \(d\), when dropped in a container filled with glycerine becomes constant after some time. If the density of glycerine is \(\frac{d}{2}\), then the viscous force acting on the ball will be
2Mg
Mg/2
Mg
3/2 Mg

Solution:

When the ball reaches terminal velocity, net force is zero: \(F_v + F_B = Mg\). The buoyant force is \(F_B = V \rho_{\text{glycerine}} g = V \left(\frac{d}{2}\right) g = \frac{Mg}{2}\). Thus, the viscous force is \(F_v = Mg - \frac{Mg}{2} = \frac{Mg}{2}\).

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