1. What is Kinematic Viscosity?

Kinematic viscosity is a measure of a fluid's internal resistance to flow under gravitational forces. It is the ratio of dynamic viscosity to fluid density.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the kinematic viscosity formula:

Where:

• \( \nu \) — Kinematic viscosity (m²/s)
• \( \mu \) — Dynamic viscosity (Pa·s)
• \( \rho \) — Density (kg/m³)

Explanation: The formula shows that kinematic viscosity decreases with increasing density for a given dynamic viscosity.

3. Importance of Kinematic Viscosity

Details: Kinematic viscosity is crucial in fluid dynamics for analyzing flow characteristics, particularly in applications involving gravity, buoyancy, and surface tension effects.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter dynamic viscosity in Pa·s and density in kg/m³. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between kinematic and dynamic viscosity?
A: Dynamic viscosity measures internal resistance to flow, while kinematic viscosity incorporates density to show resistance under gravity.

Q2: What are common units for kinematic viscosity?
A: SI unit is m²/s, but Stokes (St) and centistokes (cSt) are also commonly used (1 m²/s = 10,000 St).

Q3: When is kinematic viscosity more useful than dynamic viscosity?
A: In applications where gravity dominates, like flow through pipes, sedimentation, and lubrication.

Q4: How does temperature affect kinematic viscosity?
A: Temperature affects both dynamic viscosity and density, but typically decreases kinematic viscosity as temperature increases.

Q5: What's a typical kinematic viscosity range for water?
A: About 1×10⁻⁶ m²/s at 20°C, decreasing to about 0.3×10⁻⁶ m²/s at 100°C.