What is the Difference Between Friction and Viscosity?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Friction and viscosity are both forces that oppose the motion of objects, but they differ in the phases of matter where they occur and their temperature dependence. Here are the main differences between friction and viscosity:
- Phase of matter: Friction occurs in solid surfaces, while viscosity is for fluid media, i.e., liquids and gases.
- Temperature dependence: Viscosity of liquids decreases with an increase in temperature, while friction is independent of temperature.
- Force description: Friction refers to forces that resist relative motion in general, whereas viscosity refers specifically to resistive forces that occur between layers of a fluid when it is in motion.
In summary, friction is the force that opposes the motion of objects on solid surfaces, while viscosity is the force that opposes the motion of objects within fluids, such as liquids and gases. Additionally, viscosity is affected by temperature changes, whereas friction is not.
Comparative Table: Friction vs Viscosity
The main difference between friction and viscosity is that friction refers to forces that oppose the motion of objects in general, while viscosity refers specifically to resistive forces that occur between layers of a fluid when they are in motion. Here is a table summarizing the differences between friction and viscosity:
Property | Friction | Viscosity |
---|---|---|
Definition | Force that acts between two surfaces | Internal force that acts between two layers of a fluid |
Occurrence | Occurs between two solid surfaces or between solid and fluid surfaces | Occurs between layers of a fluid when they are in motion |
Types | Dry friction (occurs between two solid surfaces) and fluid friction (acts on fluid layers) | No specific types, but viscosity is a subset of friction |
Affected by | Relative velocity gradient does not affect friction | Viscosity is affected by the relative velocity gradient between the layers |
Examples | When you skid across a floor surface, you slow down due to friction. | When you dive into a swimming pool, the slow down with depth is due to viscosity. |
Both friction and viscosity are forces that impede motion, but they have distinct properties and causes. Friction is used to refer to forces that resist relative motion in general, while viscosity refers specifically to resistive forces that occur between layers of a fluid when they are in motion.
- Rheology vs Viscosity
- Surface Tension vs Viscosity
- Viscosity vs Density
- Kinematic vs Dynamic Viscosity
- Friction vs Shear
- Static friction vs Kinetic friction
- Sliding vs Rolling friction
- Static vs Sliding Friction
- Viscoelastic vs Viscoplastic
- Newtonian vs Non Newtonian Fluids
- Liquid vs Fluid
- Fluid Dynamics vs Fluid Mechanics
- Thixotropic vs Rheopectic Fluids
- Adhesion vs Cohesion
- Momentum vs Velocity
- Speed vs Velocity
- Grease vs Lubricant
- Velocity vs Relative Velocity
- Liquid vs Solid