Kinematic and Dynamic Viscosity

Viscosity is a measure of fluid resistance that is defined by two kinds of viscosity. The two types are Kinematic Viscosity and Dynamic Viscosity. Kinematic viscosity deals with the ease at which the liquid in question can be moved through a given pipe or channel from one point to another, as well as with how quickly it takes for this liquid to react when subjected to an outside force such as gravity.

What is Kinematic Viscosity?

Kinematic viscosity is the measure of the ease at which a liquid can be moved from one point to another as well as how quickly it reacts when moved by some outside force. One way to determine if something has kinematic viscosity is to make a channel out of solid material and place this channel in an environment with zero gravity. If there is no gravity, then there will be no influence on the liquid in the channel moving through it. If the liquid inside this channel moves slowly or not at all then it means that it has high kinematic viscosity and is tricky to move through different materials. If however, the liquid moves fast enough, then it has low kinematic viscosity.

What is Dynamic Viscosity?

Dynamic viscosity, on the other hand, stands for the resistance that a liquid has to the outside force of gravity or something else applied to it. As stated in the above reference, this type of viscosity determines how quickly a liquid reacts to an outside influence. It is also known as shear resistance and is directly related to the properties of films and colloids. Dynamic viscosity acts in opposition against shear stress which is an external force applied to a fluid.

Kinematic Viscosity: Relationship with Dynamic Viscosity

The dynamic viscosity of liquids depends on the speed at which the liquid flows through a certain pipe. Kinematic viscosity is independent of this flow because it only depends on the ratio between the length and width of a pipe as opposed to how fast it flows through that pipe. Dynamic viscosity also depends on the speed or force of the fluid movement, while kinematic viscosity does not. The viscosity of a liquid is presented in a graph to illustrate the relationship between its kinematic and dynamic viscosities. A low kinematic viscosity represents one that is very easy to bend and flow through pipes whereas a high dynamic viscosity indicates that it is hard to move through pipes even if it does not increase its resistance compared to other materials.

Difference between Kinematic and Dynamic Viscosity:

1) Kinematic viscosity deals with the ease at which a liquid can be moved from one point to another as well as how quickly it reacts when subjected to an outside force such as gravity. One way to determine if something has kinematic viscosity is to make a channel out of solid material and place this channel in an environment with zero gravity. If there is no gravity, then there will be no influence on the liquid in the channel moving through it. If the liquid inside this channel moves slowly or not at all then it means that it has high kinematic viscosity and is tricky to move through different materials. If however, the liquid moves fast enough, then it has low kinematic viscosity.

2) Dynamic viscosity, on the other hand, stands for the resistance that a liquid has to the outside force of gravity or something else applied to it. As stated in the above reference, this type of viscosity determines how quickly a liquid reacts to an outside influence. It is also known as shear resistance and is directly related to the properties of films and colloids. Dynamic viscosity acts in opposition against shear stress which is an external force applied to a fluid.

3) The dynamic viscosity of liquids depends on the speed at which the liquid flows through a certain pipe. Kinematic viscosity is independent of this flow because it only depends on the ratio between the length and width of a pipe as opposed to how fast it flows through that pipe. Dynamic viscosity also depends on the speed or force of the fluid movement, while kinematic viscosity does not.

4) The viscosity of a liquid is presented in a graph to illustrate the relationship between its kinematic and dynamic viscosities. A low kinematic viscosity represents one that is very easy to bend and flow through pipes whereas a high dynamic viscosity indicates that it is hard to move through pipes even if it does not increase its resistance compared to other materials.

5) Kinematic viscosity is also dependent on the speed of fluid flow while dynamic viscosity is not.

6) Kinematic viscosity focuses more on the ratio between the length and width of a liquid vessel, whereas dynamic viscosity focuses on the speed at which it flows through that vessel or pipe.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, kinematic viscosity focuses on how easy it is to move a liquid through a pipe or channel from one point to another, while dynamic viscosity focuses on how quickly the liquid reacts to an external force, such as gravity. These two types of viscosities are not so different when it comes down to the way each affects a fluid. Both effects work perfectly in unison to create oils that are either easy or difficult for materials and equipment to work with.