Name:

Date Performed: October 7, 2014

Section:

Group:

Date Submitted: November 4, 2014

Introduction
Viscosity is a type of bulk property defined as a liquids resistance to flow. It is due to the
internal friction of molecules and mainly depends on the nature & temperature of the liquid.
When the intermolecular forces of attraction are strong within a liquid, there is a larger viscosity
[4].
Viscosity measurements are made in conjunction with product quality and efficiency.
Anyone involved with flow characterization, in research or development, quality control or fluid
transfer, at one time or another gets involved with some type of viscosity measurement.
Absolute viscosity is measured as the resistance to flow when an external and controlled
force forces the oil through a capillary, or a body is forced through the fluid by an external and
controlled force such as a spindle driven by a motor [2]. This can be observed using Poiseiulles
Law:
dpg r
=
8 Lv

Where:
dp = the pressure drop across the tube (g/cm2)
g = the acceleration due to gravity (cm/s2)
v = the volume delivered per unit time (mL/s)
r = the radius of the tube (cm)
L = the length of the tube (cm)
On the other hand, Relative viscosity is the ratio of a liquids absolute viscosity to another
liquid at the same temperature. The Ostwald method is a simple method for the measurement of
viscosity, in which viscosity of liquid is measured by comparing the viscosity of an unknown
liquid with that of liquid whose viscosity is known [3]. In this method viscosity of liquid is
measured by comparing the flow times of two liquids using same viscometer.
1 p1 t 1
=
2 p2 t 2
Where p indicates density and t as the time of flow.
In this experiment, the relative and absolute viscosities of water and three other pure
liquids will be measured using a capillary viscometer and Brookfield viscometer under different
temperatures. These results will also be used to determine the effect of temperature and the
nature of the samples.

Methodology
A. Standardization of the Viscometer
1. The viscometer should be properly and thoroughly cleaned few hours before the
experiment. After cleaning, the viscometer is clamped in a thermostat bath with its bulb
immersed. The bulb is filled with water and kept at a constant temperature by constant uniform
stirring. The temperatures are recorded.
2. After constant conditions are met, the liquid is drawn through the capillary up to the
mark and allowed to run back on its own. The time for the liquid to flow up to the other mark is
recorded.
B. Determination of relative Viscosities
1. Following the procedures directed in A, the outflow time of the other liquid samples
are determined. The procedure is repeated at temperatures 40, 50 and 60C with the liquid
assigned by the instructor.
2. Using the same assigned sample, density is determined at temperatures 40, 50, 60C
using the pycnometer to determine its density.
C. Determination of the Absolute Viscosities
1. The absolute viscosity of a glycerol is determined using a Brookfield viscometer.
Choose an appropriate spindle and add more liquid if necessary.
2. The speed is set to the least value and the viscometer is turned on. The spindle or the
tester can be adjusted to achieve the required dial reading.
3. A chart is used to determine the appropriate viscosity that corresponds to your dial
reading.

Figure 1 Set up for Brookfield Viscotester

Figure 2 Set up of Capillary Viscotester

Results and Discussion

The records in procedure B step 1 are shown on the table below. Based on the data
gathered, there is a decrease in time for the sample to pass through the calibration marks when
the temperature is raised. This is probably due to molecules moving faster as they heat up.
Among the four samples, Propanol has the slowest passage time while the Methanol has the
fastest time. Therefore, Propanol has the highest viscosity while the Methanol is the lowest.

Table 1 Average time of liquid sample to pass the two calibration marks at a
given temperature (29C, 40C, 50C, 60C)
Average Time Required to pass from the Calibration
Liquid
Marks at a given Temperature
@29C (s)
@40C (s)
@50C (s)
@60C (s)
Sample
Distilled
3.59
3.31
2.78
2.53
water
Methanol
3.32
3.16
2.99
2.75
Propanol
5.28
4.83
4.30
3.74
Ethanol
4.71
4.35
---

The data gathered shows the behaviour of the assigned liquid sample at different
temperatures. The data are obtained by applying weight by difference using the pycnometer to
get the density while the Relative Viscosity is obtained by making use of the equation:
CH 4 1 t 1
=
H 2 O 2 t 2
The viscosity of the water is evaluated in order to get the samples Viscosity (
CH 4 = H 2 O x

CH 4

).

1 t 1
2 t 2

A decrease in density is observed as well as the viscosity when the temperature goes
higher. The spaces between the molecules increase giving more room for movement. On the
other hand, the relative viscosity increases in accordance with temperature. The relationship of
viscosity and the temperature can be observed on the figure. Figure 3 shows that the viscosity
and temperature are inversely related. As the temperature is increased, the viscosity decreases. A
decrease in viscosity means that the liquid will tend to favour movement at higher temperature.

Table 2 Determination of the Relative Viscosities of the Sample

(Methanol)
Temperature
Density
Relative
Viscosity (g/cm-s)
(C)
(g/mL)
Viscosity
28
0.79
0.731
0.006513
40

0.784

0.755

0.00493

50

0.764

0.832

0.004551

60

0.752

0.83

0.003876

Viscosity vs Temperature
0.01
0.01
0.01
0
Absolute Viscosity (g/mL-s)

0
0
0
0

20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Temperature (C)

Figure 2 Viscosity of Methanol at Elevated Temperatures

The viscosities of the other three liquid samples relative to water are obtained at 28C
using the same preceding equation. They are plotted versus the number of carbon atoms present
in each liquid. The figure 4 showed linear relation between viscosity and C-atom. Propanol has
three carbon atoms giving it a larger viscosity. This means that chain of carbons affect the
viscosity of the liquid as it requires more energy to break the bonds making it more viscous as
the chain goes longer.

Figure 3 Relationship of Viscosity of Methanol with C-atoms

Viscosity (Samples) vs No. of C atoms

0.01
0.01
0.01
Viscosity

0.01
0
0
0
0.5

1.5

No. of C atoms

2.5

3.5

Answers to Questions
During the experiment, no trapped bubbles are observed within the capillaries of the
viscometer. Taking into account those bubbles, this will greatly affect the results of the
experiment and can cause large errors. The measured time will decrease because less amount of
liquid will pass through the mark than it should. The same goes also for relative viscosity
because time and viscosity are directly proportional.
We have also observed that viscosities of methanol, ethanol, and propanol are relatively
larger than that of water. The factor that may cause this is having C-atoms in their structure.
Their molecules are larger than water and are intact making more difficult to move. It needs
larger energy in order to break the Carbon chains especially as it goes longer.
In food manufacturing such as milk processing, The production process has to be
designed with the viscosity of the product in mind, making sure that pipes are angled to optimize
flow, or that dispensers provide the right amount of force to induce flow, but not so much that the
packaging will overfill. Viscosity is also a characteristic of the texture of the food especially if it
is in a liquid form. The products viscosity is measured, monitored and maintained to ensure each
batch is consistent and will go through the production process efficiently [5].
The spindle is driven by a synchronous motor through a calibrated spring and the
deflection of the spring is displayed by the viscometer. For a given viscosity, the viscous drag, or
resistance to flow (indicated by the degree to which the spring winds up), is proportional to the
spindle's speed of rotation and is related to the spindle's size and shape. The drag increases with
an increase of spindle's size and/or rotational speed [6].

Conclusion
I therefore conclude that viscosity varies with temperature. In general, the viscosity of a
simple liquid decreases with increasing temperature (and vice versa). As temperature increases,
the average speed of the molecules in a liquid increases and the amount of time they spend
in contact with their nearest neighbours decreases. The strength of the intermolecular forces
between the molecules of the liquid governs its Viscosity. Liquids containing long molecular
chains such as Hydrocarbon chains (H-C atoms) make it very viscous due to their bond forces.
They may acquire more energy in order to break or escape from their traction [1].

References:
1. ChemPRIME Staff (12/16/2010). Viscosity. Retrieved from
http://chempaths.chemeddl.org/(10/15/2014)
2. Drew Troyer (n.d.). Understanding Absolute and Kinematic Viscosity. Retrieved From
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/ (10/15/2014)
3. Atkins, P., de Paula, J. Physical Chemistry 10th ed. Oxford University Press, 2014.
(p. 728)
4. Askeland, D., Fulay, P., and Wright, V. The Science and Engineering of Materials, SI
Edition. Global Engineering, Inc., 2011. (p. 311)
5. Art Gatenby (08/27/2014). Viscosity: Testing the Flow ability of Liquid Products.
Retrieved from http://www.cscscientific.com/ (10/15/2014).
6. Why Make Rheological Measurements? Retrived from

http://www.brookfieldengineering.com/ (10/15/2014).