How To Calculate Density From Viscosity

There are two types of viscosity: kinematic viscosity and dynamic viscosity. Kinematic viscosity measures the comparative rate at which a liquid or gas flows. Dynamic viscosity measures a gas's or liquid's resistance to flow as force is applied to it. You must know both the kinematic and dynamic viscosity of a gas or liquid to calculate its density. Knowing just one of the values is not enough, because neither viscosity value has a direct enough mathematical relationship to density.

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Step 1

Write the equation for density, given both the dynamic and kinematic viscosity of a substance. The equation is:

Density = Dynamic viscosity / Kinematic viscosity

Step 2

Substitute both the values for dynamic and kinematic viscosity into the equation for density. For example, consider a fluid with a dynamic viscosity of 6 Pascal seconds and a kinematic viscosity of 2 square meters per second, the equation would look like this:

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Density = 6 / 2

Step 3

Perform the calculation and express the density in kilograms per cubic meter. In the example, the answer would look like this:

Density = 6 / 2 = 3 kilograms per cubic meter

Cite This Article

MLA

Banas, Timothy. "How To Calculate Density From Viscosity" sciencing.com, https://www.sciencing.com/calculate-density-viscosity-6697521/. 13 March 2018.

APA

Banas, Timothy. (2018, March 13). How To Calculate Density From Viscosity. sciencing.com. Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/calculate-density-viscosity-6697521/

Chicago

Banas, Timothy. How To Calculate Density From Viscosity last modified March 24, 2022. https://www.sciencing.com/calculate-density-viscosity-6697521/

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