Understanding Viscosity and Its Relation to Friction in Fluid Mechanics

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Viscosity is defined as a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow, specifically how difficult it is to move one layer of liquid relative to another. The discussion highlights the relationship between viscosity and frictional forces, emphasizing that friction is proportional to the velocity gradient (dv/dx) according to Newton's law. Confusion arises regarding how increased friction affects the velocity gradient, as higher friction suggests lower velocity differences per displacement. The analogy of boxes on smooth versus rough surfaces illustrates how viscosity affects motion, similar to how different oils impact the movement of objects. Understanding viscosity requires a clear grasp of its definition and the equations that describe its behavior in fluid mechanics.
Godwin Kessy
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Can anyone help me define viscosity and the Newtons relations to define viscosity
Surely am having a confusion as follows;
Does viscosity define how diffcult is it to move a layer of liquid relative to another!
Or a Frictional force existing between layers in relative motion!

This quetion arised due to the fact that;
F is directly proportinal to dv/dx!
 
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yeah, you can say that.
 
kyiydnlm said:
yeah, you can say that.

But can't you really find a confusion on that!
That, if friction force between layers is greater, that means dv/dx is less because there would exist larger frictional force to allow greater difference in velocity per change in vertical displacement!(contrary to Newton's relation that Frictional force is directly proportional to dv/dx

At the same time when dv/dx is greater there exist more frictional force between layers and that is why terminal velocity can be attained! This goes in hand with the Newton's relation.

So please see this!
 
OK, you can think about it this way. If you put a box on a smooth surface and a same box on a rough surface. and you push them with same force, which one moves faster? or you try to keep them with same speed, which one needs larger force?

now, put two boxes on same surface, but one surface is covered with very thick oil, the other with thin oil. Look, you create fluid layers, one set with high viscosity, the other with low viscosity. they are simillar to boxes on solid surface.

but if you want to understant it more precisely, you have to take a look at its definition \tau=\mu\frac{dv}{dx}
 
[QUOTE
now, put two boxes on same surface, but one surface is covered with very thick oil, the other with thin oil. Look, you create fluid layers, one set with high viscosity, the other with low viscosity. they are simillar to boxes on solid surface.

but if you want to understant it more precisely, you have to take a look at its definition \tau=\mu\frac{dv}{dx}[/QUOTE]


you have spoke of same fluid and after the same time you speak of different viscosity
I don't really get you well?
 

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