Experiment Motion in a Fluid

Aim:
To investigate the motion of a water-filled ball as it descends in a container of water.

Materials:

Table tennis (ping-pong) ball of approximate mass 2 g and approximate diameter 4.0 cm.
0.5 g of Blu-Tack.
10 g slotted mass.
Transparent cylindrical container of approximate diameter 10 cm and approximate height 20
cm.
Two rubber bands of approximate circumference 20 cm.
20 ml plastic syringe.
Small beaker (any size 100mL -250 mL)
30 cm ruler with a millimetre scale.
Paper towels.

Procedure:
1. Fill the transparent cylindrical container to within 5 cm of the top
2. Place the rubber bands on the cylindrical container approximately 10 cm apart, as shown in Figure
1. The top rubber band should be level with the surface of the water.

Figure 1
3. You have been provided with a ball, a syringe and a beaker of water. Draw water from the beaker
into the syringe and empty the contents into the hole in the ball.
Determine the volume V0 of water that is required to fill the ball. (1 mL = 1 cm3) (You may have to fill
the syringe more than once.)
4. Hold the ball so that no water leaks out and use the syringe to remove 5 cm3 (5 mL) of water from
the ball. Calculate and record the volume V of water remaining in the ball. Estimate and record the
percentage uncertainty in your value of V.
5. Use a small amount of Blu-Tack to seal the hole in the ball to prevent the water escaping.

6. Hold the ball so that its bottom is on the surface of the water, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2
7. Release the ball. It will fall and then return to the surface.
8. Move the lower rubber band to the lowest position reached by the bottom of the ball as shown in
Figure 3.

Figure 3
9. Measure and record the distance x between the rubber bands.
10. Remove another 5 cm3 (5 mL) of water from the ball.
11. Repeat steps 5 -9
12. It is suggested that the relationship between x and V is x = k V3 where k is a constant.
13. Using your data, calculate two values of k.
14. Justify the number of significant figures that you have given for your values of k.
15. Explain whether your results support the suggested relationship.

*Adapted from Cambridge Advanced Subsidiary Level and Advanced Level Physics (9702/35) Paper 3
Advanced Practical Skills 1, October/November 20013.