viscosity
the state or quality of being viscous.
Physics.
the property of a fluid that resists the force tending to cause the fluid to flow.
the measure of the extent to which a fluid possesses this property.
Origin of viscosity
1Other words from viscosity
- hy·per·vis·cos·i·ty, noun
Words Nearby viscosity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use viscosity in a sentence
That viscosity limit depends on the Planck constant, a number at the heart of quantum mechanics, the math that governs physics on very small scales.
Fundamental constants place a new speed limit on sound | Emily Conover | October 9, 2020 | Science NewsThe lab has also developed various mixtures of magnetic particles and fluids that have “odd viscosity” — a sort of frictionless viscosity that enables waves to travel across the surface of the mixture without losing any energy.
An Unexpected Twist Lights Up the Secrets of Turbulence | David H. Freedman | September 3, 2020 | Quanta MagazineHe showed that the knots, links and writhing — ignoring the twisting — don’t lose their combined helicity to viscosity.
An Unexpected Twist Lights Up the Secrets of Turbulence | David H. Freedman | September 3, 2020 | Quanta MagazineFor half a century it’s been known that vortex helicity is conserved in an ideal fluid — basically, a fluid that has no viscosity, meaning it offers no resistance to an object pushing through it.
An Unexpected Twist Lights Up the Secrets of Turbulence | David H. Freedman | September 3, 2020 | Quanta MagazineThat means its viscosity — how thick it is — changes when force is applied to it.
Physicists foil classic oobleck science trick | Emily Conover | June 9, 2020 | Science News For Students
The oil pressure will vary according to weather conditions and viscosity of oil used.
Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred PagBy the old gravity systems, the flow of oil depended largely upon its viscosity, or thickness.
The Gasoline Motor | Harold Whiting SlausonA viscous precipitate forms which frequently loses its viscosity when heat is applied.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreThe effect on gelation is also illustrated by the change of viscosity of the sol with time.
Animal Proteins | Hugh Garner BennettBoth the suddenness of their formation and the slowness with which they widen are demonstrative of the non-viscosity of the ice.
Hours of Exercise in the Alps | John Tyndall
British Dictionary definitions for viscosity
/ (vɪsˈkɒsɪtɪ) /
the state or property of being viscous
physics
the extent to which a fluid resists a tendency to flow
Also called: absolute viscosity a measure of this resistance, equal to the tangential stress on a liquid undergoing streamline flow divided by its velocity gradient. It is measured in newton seconds per metre squared: Symbol: η See also kinematic viscosity, specific viscosity
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for viscosity
[ vĭ-skŏs′ĭ-tē ]
The resistance of a substance to flow. For example, water has a lower viscosity than molasses and flows more easily. Viscosity is related to the concept of shear force; it can be understood as the effect of different layers of the fluid exerting shearing force on each other, or on other surfaces, as they move against each other. Viscosity lies behind the skin friction component of drag.♦ Kinematic viscosity is a measure of the rate at which momentum is transferred through a fluid. It is measured in stokes.♦ Dynamic viscosity is a measure of the ratio of the stress on a region of a fluid to the rate of change of strain it undergoes. It is equal to the kinematic viscosity times the density of the fluid. It is measured in pascal-seconds or poises.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for viscosity
[ (vis-kos-uh-tee) ]
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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