Viscous fluids resist motion and have a high level of viscosity. Liquids measure between 1 and 1000 millipascal seconds, while gases have much smaller measurements. The type of matter and temperature affect viscosity. Extremely viscous fluids can behave like solids, such as butter. Glass is also a liquid that becomes solid as its viscosity approaches infinity.
A viscous fluid is one that resists motion or the movement of an object through the fluid. All fluids, whether liquid, gas or plasma, have a measure of viscosity which can be compared using mathematical formulas or direct measurements of motion. While all fluids have viscosity, a viscous fluid, in the usual sense of the word, is one that has a high level of viscosity. These types of fluids may move slowly or not at all, depending on how viscous they are.
In general, liquids measure between 1 and 1000 millipascal seconds, which is a common measure of viscosity. Gases have much smaller viscosity measurements between 0.001 and 0.01 millipascal seconds. At sea level and room temperature, water has a measurement of approximately 1 millipascal of a second. This measurement is one of pressure, tensile strength and motion and indicates the extent to which a fluid resists motion. A more viscous fluid will have a higher value in terms of millipascal seconds, while a less viscous fluid will have a lower value.
The type of matter a fluid is made of is the main determinant of how viscous it is, although other factors, including temperature, also affect viscosity. In general, liquids will become less viscous as their temperature increases, while gases will become more viscous as their temperature increases. Gases become more viscous when heated because the atoms in the gas move faster as the temperature increases, causing more collisions between the atoms and therefore more drag. Pressure can also affect viscosity, although this is not generally seen in liquids because, unlike gaseous matter, liquid matter is very difficult to compress.
A substance that would be called a viscous fluid resists movement to some extent. This means that the fluid does not flow or flows very slowly when a force, such as gravity, is applied. It also means that it resists the movement of an object through it.
An extremely viscous fluid can have properties that make it behave more like a solid than a liquid. Butter is an example of a high viscosity fluid. Although butter flows at room temperature, it’s so resistant to movement that it’s hard to perceive it as a fluid. Heating butter will cause it to become noticeably less viscous. Glass is also a liquid. As glass cools and hardens to a solid state, its viscosity approaches infinity, meaning it no longer flows.
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