Flow Rate and Viscosity

bi Key Question: Why do certain fluids flow faster

than others?

Flow RATE
Not all fluids flow at the same rate. Look at the two
pictures below (Figure 1). Which do you think will flow
more quickly—the honey or the water?

Figure 1 Honey and water are both fluids, but they do not flow at the same rate.

We can describe how quickly fluids move using the

flow rate term “flow rate.” Flow rate measures the volume of
a measure of how fluid that moves past a certain point in a given amount
quickly fluids move;
measured in a volume
of time.
per unit time Uor
example, Us) For example, imagine your kitchen tap takes 4 seconds
to fill up a 1 liter container of water. The flow rate from
the tap is

0.25 L/s
45
If you turn on the tap only halfway, the flow rate will
decrease.

Several factors can affect flow rate, including

the type of fluid
• the force pushing on the fluid
• the size of the pipe or opening the fluid is flowing
through
• the surface the fluid is flowing over
Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Ltd. Chapter 7 Worksheet 7.3-1 153
0

0
 Viscosrry
Some fluids flow more easily than others. A fluid’s
Viscosity viscosity is its “thickness,” or its resistance to flow.
r a measure of how
easily a fluid’s
particles are able to A thick fluid, such as maple syrup, flows more slowly
slide past one another than a thin fluid, such as soy sauce (Figure 2). Maple
syrup is more viscous than soy sauce. The particles in
soy sauce slide past one another more easily than the
particles in maple syrup.

I.... - - -

t k..z —

Figure 2 Maple syrup flows more sowly than soy sauce. Maple syrup has a higher viscosity.

Table ‘I shows some of the differences between more

viscous fluids and less viscous fluids.
Table 1 Examples of Fiuids wth Differe9t Viscosties

V1SPOS1tI
more viscous
;
3 -Appearance
thick
Flow
slow
Examples

maple syrup, honey, caramel

less viscous thin and runny fast soy sauce, milk, water, gases

Several factors affect a fluid’s viscosity. Two of these

factors are cohesion and adhesion.

COHESION
cohesion Cohesion measures how strongly the particles in a
a measure of how fluid attract one another. The particles in maple syrup
ç strongly the particles
are attracted to each other more strongly than the
of a fluid a:traot each
other particles in soy sauce. That is one reason why maple
syrup is so viscous.

154 Chapter 7 Worksheet 7.3-1 Copyright 0 2009 by Nelson Education Ltd.

0

0
 surface tension Surface tension is a special kind of cohesion. Surface
the strong attraction tension is the cohesion of the particles on the surface
among the particles
that form the surface
of a liquid.
of a liquid
Look at the water strider below (Figure 3). The insect is
walking on water. Why isn’t the insect sinking?

Figure 3 This water strider uses surface tension to walk on water.

The particles on the surface of the water are strongly

attracted to each other. Their cohesive force is stronger
than the force of gravity pulling the insect down. That
is why the water strider can walk on water.

Sometimes people want less cohesive water. For

example, peopie add a “wetting agent” to the water
used to fight forest fires. The less cohesive water
spreads out more easily when it hits the trees and the
ground.

ADHESION
Remember that cohesion measures how strongly the
particles of a fluid are attracted to each other.

adhesion Adhesion measures how strongty the particles of a

the attraction fluid are attracted to particles of another substance.
Detween the particles
of one substance and
the particles of When you finish drinking a glass of milk, you might
another substance notice a thin film of milk on the sides of the glass. The

Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Ltd. Chapter 7 Worksheet 7.3-1 156_

0

0
 The film of milk is there because particles of milk are
attracted to the sides of the glass (Figure 4).

Figure 4 The milk sticks to the glass and the

girl’s lip because of adhesion,

When a fluid moves through a pipe, it moves more

quickly near the centre of the pipe than at the edges. The
fluid is attracted to the material of the pipe, so it slows
down. For the same reason, water flows more quickly
at the centre of a river than it does along the edges.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1. If the flow rate in a pipe is 2 L/s, what does that tell you about how fast the
water is moving?

2. When you tip a bottle of syrup upside down, it takes a long time for all the syrup to
pour out. Explain this using the terms “viscosity,” “cohesion,” and “adhesion.”

3. Think back to the Key Question. List two different fluids. How are their flow
rates different?

156 Chapter 7 Worksheet 7.3-I Copyright 2009 by Nejson Education Ltd.

0

0
 Comparing Fluids
Answer the questions below.
1. Andre and Kim have two fluids. Andre’s fluid flows much more easily
than Kim’s fluid..
(a) Which fluid has a faster flow rate?
(b) Which fluid is more viscous?

2. Identify if each is an example of adhesion or cohesion. Tell how you

know.
(a) After Paco washes the dishes, his hands are still wet.

(b) Ava tries to pour half of the egg white out of the shell, but it all
pours out in one glob.

(c) A paper clip floats on the surface of a cup of water.

(d) My brother has yogurt stuck in his hair!

Copyright C 2009 by Nelson Education Ltd. Chapter 7 Worksheet 7.3-2 157

0