1.23.6: Water: (Shear) Viscosity

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 397803

Michael J Blandamer & Joao Carlos R Reis
University of Leicester & Faculdade de Ciencias

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

When the properties of water(\(\ell\)) are reviewed, general practice is to identify the importance of intermolecular hydrogen bonding as a molecular cohesive force. In these terms it is perhaps a surprise to discover that water(\(\ell\)) pours quite smoothly and freely, certainly more freely than, say, glycerol(\(\ell\)). Indeed the viscosity of water(\(\ell\)) is quite modest; \(0.8903 \mathrm{~cP}\) at \(298.15 \mathrm{~K}\) [1,2].

Nevertheless there are indications of complexity because below \(230 \mathrm{~K}\) the viscosity of water(\(\ell\)) decreases with increase in pressure before increasing. Good agreement exists between the results reported by many laboratories for viscosities of water(\(\ell\)) at low pressures but disagreement at high pressure [3].

Footnotes

[1]

\[\mathrm{P}=10^{-1} \mathrm{~Pa} \mathrm{~s}=10^{-1} \mathrm{~J} \mathrm{~m}^{-3} \mathrm{~s}\]

[2] G. S. Kell, in Water; A Comprehensive Treatise, ed. F. Franks, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1973, volume 1, chapter 10.

[3] S. D. Hamann, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 1981,13,89.