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Related Concept Videos

Newtonian Fluid: Problem Solving01:18

Newtonian Fluid: Problem Solving

Newtonian fluids exhibit a constant viscosity, meaning their shear stress and shear strain rate are directly proportional. This property ensures a predictable and stable response to applied forces, maintaining a linear relationship between force and flow. Examples include water, air, and light oils, consistently demonstrating this proportional behavior regardless of external conditions.
A velocity gradient forms within the fluid when a Newtonian fluid is placed between two parallel plates, with...
Navier–Stokes Equations01:28

Navier–Stokes Equations

For incompressible Newtonian fluids, where density remains constant, stresses show a linear relationship with the deformation rate, defined by normal and shear stresses. Normal stresses depend on the pressure exerted on the fluid and the rate of deformation in specific directions, which determines how fluid flows under varying pressures. Shear stresses, on the other hand, act tangentially across fluid layers. They explain how adjacent fluid layers slide relative to one another, connecting...
Viscosity01:17

Viscosity

When water is poured into a glass, it falls freely and quickly, whereas if honey or maple syrup is poured over a pancake, it flows slowly and sticks to the surface of the container. This difference in the flow of different kinds of liquids arises due to the fluid friction between the liquid layers and the liquid and the surrounding material. This property of fluids is called fluid viscosity. In this example, water has a lower viscosity than honey and maple syrup.
The SI unit of viscosity is...
Viscosity01:27

Viscosity

Viscosity is a property of fluids that measures their resistance to flow. It is influenced by factors such as the surface area of contact, the gradient of flow speed, and the fluid's viscosity constant, called the coefficient of viscosity. The coefficient of viscosity, also known as dynamic viscosity, is denoted by the symbol η. It determines the proportionality between the viscous force and the gradient of flow speed.Newton's law of viscosity states that the viscous force on a faster-moving...
Euler's Equations of Motion01:28

Euler's Equations of Motion

In fluid mechanics, shear stresses arise from viscosity, which represents a fluid's internal resistance to deformation. For low-viscosity fluids, like water, these stresses are minimal, simplifying flow analysis by allowing the fluid to be treated as inviscid, or frictionless. In an inviscid fluid, shear stresses are absent, leaving only normal stresses, which act perpendicularly to fluid elements. Notably, pressure — defined as the negative of the normal stress — remains uniform across...
Types of Fluids01:27

Types of Fluids

Fluids can be classified into Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids based on their response to shear stress. Newtonian fluids have a linear relationship between shear stress and the shear strain rate, following Newton's law of viscosity. Their viscosity remains constant regardless of the shear rate, making their behavior predictable and easier to analyze. Common examples include water, air, oil, and gasoline.
In contrast, non-Newtonian fluids do not follow Newton's law of viscosity, and their...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Experimental Measurement of Settling Velocity of Spherical Particles in Unconfined and Confined Surfactant-based Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids
10:28

Experimental Measurement of Settling Velocity of Spherical Particles in Unconfined and Confined Surfactant-based Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids

Published on: January 3, 2014

Shear instability in fluids with a density-dependent viscosity.

V Steinberg1, A V Ivlev, R Kompaneets

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, 85741 Garching, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|July 23, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new shear instability is discovered in compressible fluids with density-dependent viscosity. This instability occurs above critical shear rates and is stabilized only by fluid elasticity.

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Studying Large Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Response of Soft Materials
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Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Experimental Measurement of Settling Velocity of Spherical Particles in Unconfined and Confined Surfactant-based Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids
10:28

Experimental Measurement of Settling Velocity of Spherical Particles in Unconfined and Confined Surfactant-based Shear Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids

Published on: January 3, 2014

Studying Large Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Response of Soft Materials
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Area of Science:

  • Fluid dynamics
  • Rheology
  • Instability phenomena

Background:

  • Compressible fluid flows with density-dependent viscosity can exhibit complex behaviors.
  • Shear instabilities are crucial phenomena in various fluid dynamics applications.
  • Understanding the interplay of viscosity, compressibility, and dimensionality is key to predicting flow stability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and characterize a novel shear instability in compressible fluids.
  • To elucidate the fundamental mechanisms driving this instability, focusing on density-dependent viscosity.
  • To investigate the stabilizing role of fluid elasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Analytical solution of the eigenvalue problem for a plane Couette flow.
  • Analysis of the instability mechanism considering density-dependent viscosity, compressibility, and flow dimensionality.
  • Examination of limiting cases for large and small wave numbers.

Main Results:

  • A shear instability is identified, triggered above critical shear rates in compressible fluids with density-dependent viscosity.
  • The instability mechanism is shown to be generic, relying on the coupling of velocity components and density variations.
  • Fluid elasticity is identified as the sole stabilizing factor for this instability.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals a new shear instability driven by density-dependent viscosity and compressibility.
  • The findings highlight the critical role of fluid elasticity in stabilizing such flows.
  • The analytical solutions provide a theoretical foundation for understanding and controlling these instabilities.