What makes something viscous

Beglan holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and a foundation degree in communications, both from the University of London. How to Convert From Centistoke to Centipoise. How to Read a Manometer. How to Calculate Density From Viscosity. The Uses of the Venturi Meter. How to Size Gravity Drainage Piping. Factors Affecting a River's Velocity. What Is the Unit for Enthalpy? What Are the Properties of Liquid? Can you imagine how honey would flow down a slope? Sticky oozy honey would probably move quite a bit slower than the water.

This is because honey has a different viscosity to water. Viscosity is the measure of resistance of a fluid to flow. A fluid that is highly viscous has a high resistance like having more friction and flows slower than a low-viscosity fluid. To think of viscosity in everyday terms, the easier a fluid moves, the lower the viscosity. Minimizing the measurement effects preserves coherence across engine cycles and improves the power output and Print Email Share.

Most Popular Stories. Just a Game? You Need a Chickadee Brain. Living Well. View all the latest top news in the environmental sciences, or browse the topics below:. Honey, mostly glucose and fructose see image below is a good example of a liquid which owes its viscosity to hydrogen bonding.

Liquids containing long molecules are invariably very viscous. This is because the molecular chains get tangled up in each other like spaghetti—in order for the liquid to flow, the molecules must first unravel.

Fuel oil, lubricating grease, and other long-chain alkane molecules are quite viscous for this reason.