bulk viscosity
physics
Quick Summary
Bulk viscosity is a property of fluids that affects the normal stress components, unlike shear viscosity which affects shear stress components. It is relevant only when a fluid's density is changing, playing a role in phenomena such as the attenuation of sound waves.1
If a fluid is effectively incompressible, changes in density can be ignored, and the bulk viscosity's influence is canceled out in the equations of motion. In essence, bulk viscosity quantifies a fluid's resistance to uniform compression or expansion.1
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
