What is Viscosity?
Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It is a fundamental property of fluids, and is often a crucial factor in many physical processes and applications. Understanding viscosity is important for fields as diverse as engineering, chemistry, physics, and biology. Definition of Viscosity: Viscosity is defined as the ratio of the shear stress to the rate of deformation, or shear rate, of a fluid. Shear stress is the force per unit area that is required to maintain a constant velocity gradient in the fluid. Shear rate is a measure of the rate at which the fluid is being deformed or sheared. Viscosity is therefore expressed in units of force per unit area per unit time, or pascal seconds (Pa s) in the International System of Units (SI). The viscosity of a fluid is related to the internal friction that exists between the fluid's molecules. This frictional force is what causes the resistance to flow that we observe in viscous fluids. The greater the internal friction...