Viscosity Converter (Kinematic)
Viscosity Converter (Kinematic) Conversion Chart
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About This Tool
This Kinematic Viscosity Converter is a key tool in fluid dynamics and engineering. It converts units of kinematic viscosity, which is the ratio of a fluid's dynamic viscosity to its density. It describes a fluid's resistance to flow under the influence of gravity. The base unit is square meters per second (m²/s).
While dynamic viscosity measures a fluid's internal friction, kinematic viscosity measures how fast it will flow for a given force. It's crucial for applications involving fluid flow in open channels, and in the petroleum industry for characterizing oils.
Tips & Features
- Kinematic vs. Dynamic: Imagine pouring honey (high dynamic viscosity) and mercury (low dynamic viscosity). Mercury is much denser, so despite being less 'sticky', it flows less readily under gravity. Kinematic viscosity captures this relationship (ν = Dynamic Viscosity / Density).
- Stokes and Centistokes (cSt): The CGS unit is the Stokes (St), named after George Gabriel Stokes. The centistokes (cSt) is a more common subdivision. 1 cSt = 1 mm²/s.
- Application with Oils: Kinematic viscosity is the standard property used to grade motor oils and hydraulic fluids (e.g., ISO VG 32), as it dictates how well the oil will flow at different operating temperatures.
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