Viscosity of Liquids (1)

Ryan Febriyanto*, Irza Rachman S., Safitri Wulansari, Medina Yasmin

Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department
Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya, Indonesia

Introduction
A liquid may be considered to be consisting of molecular layers arranged one over the
other. When a shearing force is applied to a liquid, it flows. However, the forces of friction
between the layers offer resistance to this flow. Viscosity of a liquid is a measure of its frictional
resistance.
Let us examine a liquid flowing on a glass surface (Fig. 1). The molecular layer in contact
with the stationary surface has zero velocity. The successive layers above it move with
increasingly higher velocities in the direction of the flow.

Figure 1

Flow of a liquid on a glass surface.

(Bahl, 2008)

The pressure-flow curves of an ordinary Newtonian liquid such as water or glycerine are
linear, and are given by Poiseuille’s Law,

(1)

where R is the tube radius, P is the pressure gradient per unit tube length, and, is the Newtonian
coefficient of viscosity. The reciprocal of any viscosity coefficient is called the fluidity, and it is
often more convenient to use this quantity rather than the corresponding viscosity. The fluidity

*Representative author. Tel.: +6281330708087

E-mail address: ryanfebriyanto18@gmail.com

will be denoted by φ, so that in general, φ= 1/η. The symbol η will be used for a Newtonian
viscosity. It is clear from equation 1 that the slope of the pressure-flow lines of a Newtonian fluis
4/8
is proportional to the fluidity and that proportionality is πR (if the driving pressure is expressed
per unit tube length).
(Haynes, 1962)

Table 1. Intrinsic viscosity

Solvent q/°C K/(cm3 g− 1) a

Polystyrene Benzene 25 9.5 × 10− 3 0.74

Polyisobutylene Benzene 23 8.3 × 10− 2 0.50

Various proteins Guanidine hydrochloride 7.2 × 10−3 0.66

(Atkins, 2006)

Purpose Of Experiment
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the viscosity coefficient of each mixture
and for the temperature runs.
Method
The first thing to do is to suspend the viscometer into a large beaker of water that is as
o
close to 25 C as possible. The next step is to pipette 5 ml of deionized water of known density
into the Ostwald viscometer and allow time for the liquid to equilibrate to the temperature of the
bath. Then use a pipette bulb to push and pull the liquid level up above the upper fiducial mark
in the viscometer. Allow the water to run back down and start the timer exactly as the meniscus
passes the upper mark. Stop the timer just as the meniscus passes the lower mark. Repeat at least
twice. Your flow times should agree to within about 0.4 seconds. After that, clean and dry the
viscometer by running a few millimeters of acetone through it. Drain acetone and aspirate for
about a minute to evaporate all the acetone. Determine the flow times of another solution, in this
experiment, we used solution which is labeled as “2” and do it like deionized water.

*Representative author. Tel.: +6281330708087

E-mail address: ryanfebriyanto18@gmail.com

Result and Discussion

From the data, the viscosity coefficient of the deionized water and unknown mixture for
each temperature runs can be calculated using the Poisuille’s Law:

! = #$ % &/8)
(Robert H. Howard, 1962)

The average viscosity coefficient of deionized water is 0.00831 Poise at room

temperature. As well-known that the actual viscosity of water is 0.00890 Poise. There is a slight
0.00059 Poise error on the calculations. It can be concluded that the error comes from the time
data that was collected because the only variable that is not fixed is the time. so we conclude that
it is from human errors, such as: the stopwatch use error when

Then, the average viscosity of unknown mixture at each temperature (29° C, 43° C, 58° C)
is 0.00438 Poise, 0.00428 Poise, and 0.00404 Poise. On liquid fluids, the viscosity is decreased
with each increase of temperature.

(Heru Setyawan, 2013)

The formula for viscosity dependence to temperature is:

! = *+,-.!//0

With A a constant for a given liquid and E ! the activation energy for viscous flow. This is the
energy barrier that must be surmounted in order for a molecule to squeeze by its neighbors.

(Arrenhius, 1912)

*Representative author. Tel.: +6281330708087

E-mail address: ryanfebriyanto18@gmail.com

 So from the data we collected we can draw a graph with plot ln ! vs 1/T :

-5.42
-5.43 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
-5.44
-5.45
-5.46
-5.47
ln !
-5.48
-5.49
-5.5
-5.51
-5.52
1/Temp.

Picture 1.1 The graph of ln ! vs 1/T

From the graph, that is not a linear function whereas it should be, given the formula we have.
This is caused again by human error while collecting data, such as: misuse of temperature and
misuse of stopwatch when the datas were collected.

Conclusion

From the viscocity of liquids experiment that has purpose to determine the viscosity
coefficient of each mixture and for the temperature runs can be concluded that:
1. Viscocity of Aquadest at Room Temperature is 88.85 x 10-4 cP
o
2. Viscocity of Solution “2” at T = 29 C is 44.42 , 107% cP
o
3. Viscocity of Solution “2” at T = 43 C is 43.7 , 107% cP
o
4. Viscocity of Solution “2” at T = 58 C is 40.88 , 107% cP
Appendix
Volume of Aquadest = 5 mL
Volume of Solution labeled “2” = 5 mL
Volume of Acetone = 5 mL
Radius of Oswalt Viscometer = 0.25 cm
Pressure = 1 atm
Length of Oswalt Viscometer = 2 cm

*Representative author. Tel.: +6281330708087

E-mail address: ryanfebriyanto18@gmail.com

 • Density of Aquadest at Room Temperature
# , $ % , & , <
:; =
8 , = , >
?.;% @ (B.CD)F @ ; @ (D%.G)
:; = = 83.85 , 107% cP
H @ D @ C

:C = 82.5 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <C = 53.82 N)

:? = 83.08 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <? = 54.2 N)

o
• Densitity of Solution “2” at T = 29 C
# , $ % , & , <
:; =
8 , = , >
?.;% @ (B.CD)F @ ; @ (CH.OH)
:; = = 44.42 , 107% cP
H @ D @ C

:C = 44.34 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <C = 29.93 N)

:? = 42.75 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <? = 27.89 N)

o
• Density of Solution “2” at T = 43 C
?.;% @ (B.CD)F @ ; @ (CH.D;)
:; = = 43.7 , 107% cP
H @ D @ C

:C = 43.12 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <C = 28.13 N)

:? = 41.94 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <? = 27.36 N)

o
• Density of Solution “2” at T = 58 C
?.;% @ (B.CD)F @ ; @ (CR.RG)
:; = = 40.88 , 107% cP
H @ D @ C

:C = 40.08 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <C = 26.15 N)

:? = 40.67 , 107% J& (KL<ℎ <? = 26.53 N)
Reference
Atkins, Peter. 2006. ATKIN’ S PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, p.
666
Bahl, B. S. Essentials of Physical Chemistry.2008. S. Chand & Co, New Delhi, p. 431
Haynes, Robert H. 1962. The Viscosity of Erythrocyte Suspensions: A Review of Theory,
Biophysical Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, p. 97-98.

*Representative author. Tel.: +6281330708087

E-mail address: ryanfebriyanto18@gmail.com