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Viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity
Etymology
The word "viscosity" is derived from the
Latin "viscum", meaning mistletoe and
also a viscous glue made from mistletoe
berries.[4]
Definition
Simple definition
General definition
Momentum transport
Transport theory provides an alternate
interpretation of viscosity in terms of
momentum transport: viscosity is the
material property which characterizes
momentum transport within a fluid, just
as thermal conductivity characterizes
heat transport, and (mass) diffusivity
characterizes mass transport.[15] To see
this, note that in Newton's law of
viscosity, , the shear
stress has units equivalent to a
momentum flux, i.e. momentum per unit
time per unit area. Thus, can be
interpreted as specifying the flow of
momentum in the direction from one
fluid layer to the next. Per Newton's law of
viscosity, this momentum flow occurs
across a velocity gradient, and the
magnitude of the corresponding
momentum flux is determined by the
viscosity.
In solids
The viscous forces that arise during fluid
flow must not be confused with the
elastic forces that arise in a solid in
response to shear, compression or
extension stresses. While in the latter the
stress is proportional to the amount of
shear deformation, in a fluid it is
proportional to the rate of deformation
over time. (For this reason, Maxwell used
the term fugitive elasticity for fluid
viscosity.)
Measurement
Viscosity is measured with various types
of viscometers and rheometers. A
rheometer is used for those fluids that
cannot be defined by a single value of
viscosity and therefore require more
parameters to be set and measured than
is the case for a viscometer. Close
temperature control of the fluid is
essential to acquire accurate
measurements, particularly in materials
like lubricants, whose viscosity can
double with a change of only 5 °C.
Units
The SI unit of dynamic viscosity is the
pascal-second (Pa·s), or equivalently
kilogram per meter per second
(kg·m−1·s−1). The CGS unit is called the
poise[26] (P), named after Jean Léonard