resistance to flow
When you pour a glass of water, or fill a car with gasoline, you observe that water and gasoline flow freely. But when you pour syrup on pancakes or add oil to a car engine, you note that syrup and motor oil do not flow as readily. The viscosity of a liquid is a measure of its resistance to flow. Water, gasoline, and other liquids that flow freely have a low viscosity. Honey, syrup, motor oil, and other liquids that do not flow freely, like those shown in Figure 10.15, have higher viscosities. We can measure viscosity by measuring the rate at which a metal ball falls through a liquid the ball falls more slowly through a more viscous liquid or by measuring the rate at which a liquid flows through a narrow tube more viscous liquids flow more slowly .