| | Viscosity of Liquids and Gases |  |
The viscosity of a liquid is a measure of that fluid's resistance to flow when acted upon by an external force such as a pressure differential or gravity. Viscosity is a general property of all fluids, which includes both liquids and gases. While the basic concept of viscosity is the same for liquids and gases, changes in temperature affect the viscosity of liquids and gases differently.
Viscosity has the SI units Pascal seconds (Pa s) which is called the Poiseuille. More commonly used is the dyne sec/cm2 which is called Poise. One Pa s is 10 Poise. The Poise is used in the table because of its more common usage. Data from Gustafson. These viscosities are at 20°C except for the blood and blood plasma which are at body temperature, 37°C, and for steam which is at 100°C.
Viscosity of Liquids and Gases | Liquids | Viscosity
(Poise) | | Acetone | 0.0032 | | Alcohol(ethyl) | 0.012 | | Blood (whole) | 0.04 | | Blood plasma | 0.015 | | Gasoline | 0.006 | | Glycerine | 14.9 | | Mercury | 0.016 | | Oil (light) | 1.1 | | Oil (heavy) | 6.6 | | Water | 0.01 | | | Viscosity of Liquids and Gases | Gases | Viscosity
(Poise) | | Air | 0.00018 | | Helium | 0.00019 | | Methane | 0.00020 | | Nitrogen | 0.00018 | | Oxygen | 0.00020 | Water vapor
(steam) | 0.00013 | |
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Physical Data