viscosity science definition

The resistance of a substance to flow. For example, water has a lower viscosity than molasses and flows more easily. Viscosity is related to the concept of shear force ; it can be understood as the effect of different layers of the fluid exerting shearing force on each other, or on other surfaces, as they move against each other. Viscosity lies behind the skin friction  component of drag.
♦ kinematic viscosity is a measure of the rate at which momentum is transferred through a fluid. It is measured in stokes .
♦ dynamic viscosity is a measure of the ratio of the stress  on a region of a fluid to the rate of change of strain  it undergoes. It is equal to the kinematic viscosity times the density of the fluid. It is measured in pascal-seconds or poises.