Viscosity is a fluid property that measures the resistance
of the fluid to deforming due to a shear force.
Viscosity is the internal friction of a fluid which makes it resist flowing past
a solid surface or other layers of the
fluid. Viscosity can also be considered to be a measure of the resistance
of a fluid to flowing. A thick oil has a high viscosity; water has a low
viscosity. The unit of measurement for
absolute viscosity is:
The viscosity of a fluid is usually significantly dependent on
the temperature of the fluid and relatively
independent of the pressure. For most fluids, as the temperature of the fluid
increases, the viscosity of the fluid
decreases. An example of this can be seen in the lubricating oil of engines.
When the engine and its lubricating oil are cold, the oil is very viscous, or
thick. After the engine is started and the
lubricating oil increases in temperature, the viscosity of the oil decreases
significantly and the oil seems much thinner.
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