Comparing the Viscosity of Water and Engine Oil essays

Comparing the Viscosity of Water and Engine Oil essays Comparing the Viscosity of Water and Engine Oil The viscosity of both water and engine oil was determined. The method used involoved filling a bottle with water first and measuring the time a marble took to travel from one point to the other using a stopwatch. This was repeated for the engine oil. It was found that engine oil was more viscous than water. The minor discrepancy found in the results was due to the reaction time often existent when using a stopwatch. The aim of the experiment was to compare the viscosity of water and that of engine oil by means of a bottle, a marble and a stopwatch. The bottle was filled first with water and then its viscosity was determined. Then it was filled with engine oil and also its viscosity was calculated. Different liquids have different densities. This means that some liquids are denser than others. The density of a liquid is the extent to which its composing molecules are packed together. Density, r, is the mass of a liquid in relation to the volume it occupies. It can be measured using the formula below: where r is density, m is the mass of the liquid and v is its volume. Therefore, it follows that once the density of any liquid is determined, its viscosity index can be known. Another method of determining the viscosity of liquids is by comparing the flow of these liquids. Determining the viscosity index is very important for mechanical engineers because it allows them to design the right kind of viscous oil for the appropriate mechanical function. In the present experiment, the second method is used to determine the viscosity of both water and engine oil by calculating the time a glass marble takes to travel from one point in a bottle to the other using a stopwatch.. A clear plastic bottle about 444 mL capacity or slightly larger, with a tightly fitting cap; ...