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Question #42117
The Question
A capillary tube of radius is kept vertically in a large liquid bath. The liquid and the tube are initially at temperature and cool down to the ambient temperature according to Newton's law of cooling with a cooling constant . The surface tension and contact angle depend on temperature such that the quasi-static equilibrium height of the liquid column is , where is the equilibrium height at and is a positive constant. Assuming the mass of the liquid column remains approximately constant as (where is the liquid density) and neglecting viscous damping, the actual height of the liquid column can be expressed as , where is the oscillatory component. Which of the following represents ?
Options
- A.
- B.
- C.
- D.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Multi-Concept_Bridge
Master problems that require linking physics and math concepts to solve complex competitive questions.
Concepts Behind This Question
Contact Angle Interpretation|Newton’s Law of Cooling Limits|Molecular Forces of Cohesion
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
This question tests the student's ability to couple thermodynamics (Newton's Law of Cooling) with fluid mechanics (capillary action) while avoiding the quasi-static equilibrium trap.
Students commonly assume that the liquid column instantly adjusts to the temperature-dependent equilibrium height (Option B).
However, the fluid mass possesses inertia, meaning the actual height is governed by a second-order differential equation driven by an exponentially decaying force.
By linearizing the mass term and solving the non-homogeneous differential equation, the student must identify the particular solution (non-oscillatory part), revealing a lag factor that depends on the cooling rate and the natural frequency of the capillary column.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Physics |
| Chapter | Mechanical Properties of Fluids - Class 11 Part 2 |
| Concept | Contact Angle Interpretation |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 7 |
| Target Solve Time | 160 sec |
| Access | Free |