
Class 11 Mechanical Properties of Fluids talks about the physical properties of liquids and gases. It covers the similarities in liquids and gases, and the differences between fluids and solids. It provides detailed explanations of the key topics, including streamline flow, pressure, Viscosity, Bernoulli's principle, and surface tension.
Mechanical Properties of Fluids Class 11 NCERT solutions are created by the experts. The students can rely on these step-by-step solutions given by Shiksha for their CBSE Board exam and NEET, and JEE Main preparation. The Class 12 science students who are looking for a comprehensive NCERT solution on all three subjects -Physics, Chemistry, and Maths of Class 11 and Class 12, should Explore Here.
- NCERT Class 11 Physics Chapter 9 Mechanical Properties of Fluids: Weightage, Key Topics, and Important Formulas
- Class 11 Physics Mechanical properties of fluids NCERT solutions PDF: Download Free Download
- NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Physics Mechanical properties of fluids
NCERT Class 11 Physics Chapter 9 Mechanical Properties of Fluids: Weightage, Key Topics, and Important Formulas
Mechanical Properties of Fluids is a conceptual and application-based chapter in Class 11 Physics. This chapter deals with how liquids and gases behave under various forces and pressures, and understanding fluid mechanics is crucial while preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams such as NEET and JEE Main. It forms the foundation for advanced fluid dynamics, hydraulics, and biophysics topics, often appearing in numerical and reasoning-type exam questions. Check here the topics covered in Class 11 Mechanical Properties of Fluids;
Exercise | Topics Covered |
---|---|
9.1 | Introduction |
9.2 | Pressure |
9.3 | Streamline Flow |
9.4 | Bernoulli's Principle |
9.5 | Viscosity |
9.6 | Surface Tension |
Mechanical Properties of Fluids Weightage in NEET, JEE Main Exam
Exam | Number of Questions |
---|---|
NEET | 1-2 questions |
JEE Main | 1 question |
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NCERT Solutions Physics Class 11th | NCERT Notes for Class 11 & 12 |
NCERT Class 11 Notes | Class 11 Physics Notes |
Class 11 Physics Mechanical properties of fluids NCERT solutions PDF: Download Free Download
Mechanical properties of fluids Class 11 NCERT Solutions PDF helps students build a strong foundation of concepts, which is crucial in the later stages of their preparation for competitive exams. Students can download the free PDF given below.
Those who want to get access to chapter-wise important topics, weightage information, and download the free PDFs, can explore the NCERT Solutions Physics Class 11th.
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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Physics Mechanical properties of fluids
Q.10.2 Explain why (a) The angle of contact of mercury with glass is obtuse, while that of water with glass is acute
(b) Water on a clean glass surface tends to spread out while mercury on the same surface tends to form drops. (Put differently, water wets glass while mercury does not)
(c) Surface tension of a liquid is independent of the area of the surface
(d) Water with detergent dissolved in it should have small angles of contact
(e) A drop of liquid under no external forces is always spherical in shape |
Ans.10.2 The angle between the tangent to the liquid surface at the point of contact and the surface inside the liquid is called the angle of contact ( , as shown in the diagram = Interfacial tension between liquid-air interface = Interfacial tension between solid -liquid interface = Interfacial tension between solid-air interface At the line of contact of contact, the surface forces between the three media must be in equilibrium. Hence = The angle of contact is obtuse, if , as in the case of mercury on glass This angle is acute if , as in the case of water on glass Mercury molecules (which makes an obtuse angle with glass) have a strong force of attraction between themselves and a weak force of attraction towards solids. Hence, they tend to form drops Water molecules make acute angles with glass. They have a weak force of attraction between themselves and a strong force of attraction towards solids. Hence, they tend to spread out Surface tension is the force acting per unit length at the interface between the plane of a liquid and any other surface. This force is independent of the area of the liquid surface. Hence, surface tension is independent of the area of the liquid surface. Water with detergent dissolved in it has a small angle of contact( This is because for a small there is a fast capillary rise of the detergent in the cloth. The capillary rise of a liquid is directly proportion to the cosine of the angle If is small, then cos will be large and then the rise of detergent in the cloth will be faster. A liquid tend to acquire the minimum surface area because of the presence of surface tension. The surface area of a sphere is the minimum for a given volume. Hence, under no external forces, liquid drops always take spherical shape. |
Q.10.3 Fill in the blanks using the word(s) from the list appended with each statement: (a) Surface tension of liquids generally . . . with temperatures (increases / decreases)
(b) Viscosity of gases . . . with temperature, whereas viscosity of liquids . . . with temperature (increases / decreases)
(c) For solids with elastic modulus of rigidity, the shearing force is proportional to . . . , while for fluids it is proportional to. .. (shear strain / rate of shear strain)
(d) For a fluid in a steady flow, the increase in flow speed at a constriction follows (conservation of mass / Bernoulli’s principle)
(e) For the model of a plane in a wind tunnel, turbulence occurs at a ... speed for turbulence for an actual plane (greater / smaller) |
Ans.10.3: The surface tension of a liquid is inversely proportional to temperature. Decreases Most fluids offer resistance to their motion. It is like internal mechanical friction, known as viscosity. Gas viscosity increases with temperature, whereas liquid viscosity decreases with temperature. Because, intermolecular forces weaken with temperature increase, viscosity decreases. With reference to the elastic modulus of rigidity for solids, the shearing force is proportional to the shear strain. With reference to elastic modulus of rigidity for fluids, the shearing force is proportional to the rate of shear strain. For a steady-flowing fluid, an increase in its flow speed at a constriction follows the conservation of mass (Bernouli’ principle). For the model of a plane in wind tunnel, turbulence occurs at a greater speed then it does for an actual plane. This follows from Bernoulli’s principle and different Reynolds’ numbers associated with the motions of the two planes. |
Q.10.4 Explain why (a) To keep a piece of paper horizontal, you should blow over, not under, it
(b) When we try to close a water tap with our fingers, fast jets of water gush through the openings between our fingers
(c) The size of the needle of a syringe controls flow rate better than the thumb pressure exerted by a doctor while administering an injection
(d) A fluid flowing out of a small hole in a vessel results in a backward thrust on the vessel
(e) A spinning cricket ball in air does not follow a parabolic trajectory |
Ans.10.4: When air is blown under a paper, the velocity of air is more than the upper portion of the paper. As per Bernoulli’s principle, atmospheric pressure reduces under the paper and makes it fall. To keep the paper horizontal, the air needs to be blown on the upper surface of the paper. For a smaller opening, the flow of fluid is more than when it is bigger. When we try to close the tap with our fingers, water gushes through the small openings. Area and velocity are inversely proportional to each other. Small opening of a syringe needle controls the velocity of the blood oozing out. At the constriction point of the syringe system, the flow rate suddenly increases to a high value for a constant thumb pressure. When a fluid flows out from a small hole in a vessel, the vessel receives backward thrust, when fluid flows out from a small hole, it attains high velocity. Due to the law of conservation of momentum, the vessel attains backward velocity. A spinning cricket ball in air has two simultaneous motions – rotary and linear. These two types of motion, opposes each other. The velocity below the ball decreases, the pressure on upper side becomes lesser than the lower side of the ball. An upward force acts on the ball and it takes a curved path, does not follow parabolic path. |
Commonly asked questions
10.19 What is the pressure inside the drop of mercury of radius 3.00 mm at room temperature? Surface tension of mercury at that temperature (20 °C) is 4.65 × 10–1 N m–1. The atmospheric pressure is 1.01 × 105 Pa. Also give the excess pressure inside the drop.
(a) The blood pressure in humans is greater at the feet than at the brain
(b) Atmospheric pressure at a height of about 6 km decreases to nearly half of its value at the sea level, though the height of the atmosphere is more than 100 km
(c) Hydrostatic pressure is a scalar quantity even though pressure is force divided by area
10.2 Explain why
(a) The angle of contact of mercury with glass is obtuse, while that of water with glass is acute
(b) Water on a clean glass surface tends to spread out while mercury on the same surface tends to form drops. (Put differently, water wets glass while mercury does not)
(c) Surface tension of a liquid is independent of the area of the surface
(d) Water with detergent dissolved in it should have small angles of contact
(e) A drop of liquid under no external forces is always spherical in shape
10.9 A U-tube contains water and methylated spirit separated by mercury. The mercury columns in the two arms are in level with 10.0 cm of water in one arm and 12.5 cm of spirit in the other. What is the specific gravity of spirit?
10.3 Fill in the blanks using the word(s) from the list appended with each statement:
(a) Surface tension of liquids generally . . . with temperatures (increases / decreases)
(b) Viscosity of gases . . . with temperature, whereas viscosity of liquids . . . with temperature (increases / decreases)
(c) For solids with elastic modulus of rigidity, the shearing force is proportional to . . . , while for fluids it is proportional to. .. (shear strain / rate of shear strain)
(d) For a fluid in a steady flow, the increase in flow speed at a constriction follows (conservation of mass / Bernoulli’s principle)
(e) For the model of a plane in a wind tunnel, turbulence occurs at a ... speed for turbulence for an actual plane (greater / smaller)
10.4 Explain why
(a) To keep a piece of paper horizontal, you should blow over, not under, it
(b) When we try to close a water tap with our fingers, fast jets of water gush through the openings between our fingers
(c) The size of the needle of a syringe controls flow rate better than the thumb pressure exerted by a doctor while administering an injection
(d) A fluid flowing out of a small hole in a vessel results in a backward thrust on the vessel
(e) A spinning cricket ball in air does not follow a parabolic trajectory
10.5 A 50 kg girl wearing high heel shoes balances on a single heel. The heel is circular with a diameter 1.0 cm. What is the pressure exerted by the heel on the horizontal floor?
10.6 Torricelli’s barometer used mercury. Pascal duplicated it using French wine of density 984 kg m–3. Determine the height of the wine column for normal atmospheric pressure.
10.7 A vertical off-shore structure is built to withstand a maximum stress of 109 Pa. Is the structure suitable for putting up on top of an oil well in the ocean? Take the depth of the ocean to be roughly 3 km, and ignore ocean currents.
10.8 A hydraulic automobile lift is designed to lift cars with a maximum mass of 3000 kg. The area of cross-section of the piston carrying the load is 425 cm2. What maximum pressure would the smaller piston have to bear?
10.10 In the previous problem, if 15.0 cm of water and spirit each are further poured into the respective arms of the tube, what is the difference in the levels of mercury in the two arms? (Specific gravity of mercury = 13.6)
10.11 Can Bernoulli’s equation be used to describe the flow of water through a rapid in a river? Explain.
10.12 Does it matter if one uses gauge instead of absolute pressures in applying Bernoulli’s equation? Explain.
10.13 Glycerin flows steadily through a horizontal tube of length 1.5 m and radius 1.0 cm. If the amount of glycerin collected per second at one end is 4.0 × 10–3 kg s–1, what is the pressure difference between the two ends of the tube? (Density of glycerin = 1.3 × 103 kg m–3 and viscosity of glycerin = 0.83 Pa s). [You may also like to check if the assumption of laminar flow in the tube is correct].
10.14 In a test experiment on a model aeroplane in a wind tunnel, the flow speeds on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing are 70 m s–1and 63 m s-1 respectively. What is the lift on the wing if its area is 2.5 m2? Take the density of air to be 1.3 kg m–3.
10.15 Figures 10.23(a) and (b) refer to the steady flow of a (non-viscous) liquid. Which of the two figures is incorrect ? Why ?

10.16 The cylindrical tube of a spray pump has a cross-section of 8.0 cm2 one end of which has 40 fine holes each of diameter 1.0 mm. If the liquid flow inside the tube is 1.5 m min–1, what is the speed of ejection of the liquid through the holes?
10.17 A U-shaped wire is dipped in a soap solution, and removed. The thin soap film formed between the wire and the light slider supports a weight of 1.5 × 10–2 N (which includes the small weight of the slider). The length of the slider is 30 cm. What is the surface tension of the film?
10.18 Figure 10.24 (a) shows a thin liquid film supporting a small weight = 4.5 × 10–2 N. What is the weight supported by a film of the same liquid at the same temperature in Fig. (b) and (c)? Explain your answer physically.

10.20 What is the excess pressure inside a bubble of soap solution of radius 5.00 mm, given that the surface tension of soap solution at the temperature (20 °C) is 2.50 × 10–2 N m–1 ? If an air bubble of the same dimension were formed at depth of 40.0 cm inside a container containing the soap solution (of relative density 1.20), what would be the pressure inside the bubble ? (1 atmospheric pressure is 1.01 × 105 Pa).
10.21 A tank with a square base of area 1.0 m2 is divided by a vertical partition in the middle. The bottom of the partition has a small-hinged door of area 20 cm2. The tank is filled with water in one compartment, and an acid (of relative density 1.7) in the other, both to a height of 4.0 m. compute the force necessary to keep the door close.
10.22 A manometer reads the pressure of a gas in an enclosure as shown in Fig. 10.25 (a) When a pump removes some of the gas, the manometer reads as in Fig. 10.25 (b) .The liquid used in the manometers is mercury and the atmospheric pressure is 76 cm of mercury.
(a) Give the absolute and gauge pressure of the gas in the enclosure for cases (a) and (b), in units of cm of mercury
(b) How would the levels change in case (b) if 13.6 cm of water (immiscible with mercury) are poured into the right limb of the manometer? (Ignore the small change in the volume of the gas)

10.23 Two vessels have the same base area but different shapes. The first vessel takes twice the volume of water that the second vessel requires to fill up to a particular common height. Is the force exerted by the water on the base of the vessel the same in the two cases? If so, why do the vessels filled with water to that same height give different readings on a weighing scale?
10.24 During blood transfusion the needle is inserted in a vein where the gauge pressure is 2000 Pa. At what height must the blood container be placed so that blood may just enter the vein? [Use the density of whole blood from Table 10.1].
10.25 In deriving Bernoulli’s equation, we equated the work done on the fluid in the tube to its change in the potential and kinetic energy. (a) What is the largest average velocity of blood flow in an artery of diameter 2 × 10–3 m if the flow must remain laminar? (b) Do the dissipative forces become more important as the fluid velocity increases? Discuss qualitatively.
10.26 (a) What is the largest average velocity of blood flow in an artery of radius 2×10–3m if the flow must remain laminar? (b) What is the corresponding flow rate? (Take viscosity of blood to be 2.084 × 10–3 Pa s).
10.27 A plane is in level flight at constant speed and each of its two wings has an area of 25 m2. If the speed of the air is 180 km/h over the lower wing and 234 km/h over the upper wing surface, determine the plane’s mass. (Take air density to be 1 kg m–3).
10.28 In Millikan’s oil drop experiment, what is the terminal speed of an uncharged drop of radius 2.0 × 10–5 m and density 1.2 × 103 kg m–3. Take the viscosity of air at the temperature of the experiment to be 1.8 × 10–5 Pa s. How much is the viscous force on the drop at that speed ? Neglect buoyancy of the drop due to air.
10.29 Mercury has an angle of contact equal to 140° with soda lime glass. A narrow tube of radius 1.00 mm made of this glass is dipped in a trough containing mercury. By what amount does the mercury dip down in the tube relative to the liquid surface outside? Surface tension of mercury at the temperature of the experiment is 0.465 N m–1. Density of mercury = 13.6 × 103 kg m–3.
10.30 Two narrow bores of diameters 3.0 mm and 6.0 mm are joined together to form a U-tube open at both ends. If the U-tube contains water, what is the difference in its levels in the two limbs of the tube? Surface tension of water at the temperature of the experiment is 7.3 × 10–2 N m–1. Take the angle of contact to be zero and density of water to be 1.0 × 103 kg m–3 (g = 9.8 m s–2)
10.31 (a) It is known that density of air decreases with height y as
where = 1.25 kg m–3 is the density at sea level, and is a constant. This density variation is called the law of atmospheres. Obtain this law assuming that the temperature of atmosphere remains a constant (isothermal conditions). Also assume that the value of g remains constant.
(b) A large He balloon of volume 1425 m3 is used to lift a payload of 400 kg. Assume that the balloon maintains constant radius as it rises. How high does it rise?
[Take = 8000 m and = 0.18 kg m–3].
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