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coefficient of viscosity

physics
Also known as: shear viscosity

Quick Summary

Viscosity is a fluid's resistance to flow, essentially its internal friction. A fluid with high viscosity, like molasses, flows more slowly than one with low viscosity, like water. This property is crucial for lubrication and fluid transport.

For many fluids, the shear stress causing flow is directly proportional to the rate of deformation. This constant ratio is known as the dynamic or absolute viscosity, often simply called viscosity. Fluids exhibiting this behavior are termed Newtonian fluids. The SI unit for dynamic viscosity is the pascal-second.

Viscosity is temperature-dependent: liquids become less viscous as temperature increases, while gases become more viscous. Kinematic viscosity, another measure, is the absolute viscosity divided by mass density.123

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