Motion of a sphere in a viscous fluid under controlled acceleration

Abstract

This study focuses on an experiment to measure the terminal velocity of a small solid spherical ball that falls vertically inside liquid columns at different simulated gravitational accelerations (a g). The experiment utilized Atwood’s machine to simulate the gravitational acceleration, allowing for the investigation of the relationship between gravitational acceleration and terminal velocity. The success of the experiment in aligning with theoretical predictions enhances our understanding of the underlying principles and supports student education in this area of study.