Viscosity is the measure of resistance in a liquid.

The more resistance a liquid has under

motion, the more viscous it is. A liquid that has less resistance and flows faster is less viscous.
For example, water and gasoline are less viscous than maple syrup and oil. My project deals with
the effect temperature has on viscosity, whether viscosity is increased or decreased with
temperature. Viscosity is a very important factor for major industries of how their products will
work. For example, toothpaste has to be the right viscosity to flow out of a tube at a constant
rate, not too fast or too slow.
One very famous experiment involving viscosity was the "Pitch drop experiment". The
experiment was started in 1927 in which bitumen was poured into a sealed funnel and allowed to
settle for several years before the bitumen was allowed to flow. Bitumen has a viscosity 230
billion that times of water. The purpose of this experiment was to show that substances that
appear to be solids, in this case bitumen, are in fact very viscous liquids. To this date only nine
drops of bitumen have flowed out of the funnel. With the first drop being recorded in 1938 and
the most recent one in 2014.
Much research has been done on the effect of temperature on viscosity. The basic method
of measuring viscosity involves using a stopwatch and recording the amount of time it takes
certain liquid to travel a certain distance. Velocity equals distance over time. This can be repeated
with the liquid now under different temperatures.
The purpose of research in viscosity is to be able to shed new light in fluid dynamics and
have a better understanding of how liquids behave under different circumstances. After a lot of
experimentation the general conclusion scientists came up with is the more temperature that is
applied to a liquid the lower its viscosity will be. This can be observed by watching cooking oil
on a stove act more fluidly when heated. Understanding of how liquids respond with temperature
can help scientists use liquids more efficiently for their designated uses. Like knowing the effect

of temperature on motor oil helps understand how it operates in an engine. Body lotions have to
be the right viscosity so they will not drip all over or just stick to one place.
In conclusion viscosity is very important factor in everyday items and is used
everywhere, in engineering, medical field, petroleum industry, and many more. Without the
understanding of viscosity, technology would have not progressed to where it is now. Though
there is not much new to discover about viscosity, doing this experiment first hand helps discover
new insights about the topic and gives you a better understanding of why it works the way it
works, rather than just have it taken for granted by someone else.