Fact of the Day: 19/03/2021

Why does knocking over an open bottle of water produce a mess, while knocking over a honey jar doesn’t? The key lies in the liquids’ viscosity. Viscosity refers to how easily a liquid flows – how easy it is to get that liquid to move from one place to another, and how easy it is to fill a container with that liquid. Essentially, it measures how ‘runny’ a liquid is. Compared to honey, water has a low viscosity, making it flow easier and thus be more runny. If you knock over a container with water, the water will quickly move out of the container because it’s more ‘energetic.’ Honey, on the other hand, is more viscous and less runny, so it flows more slowly and with more difficulty. If you knock over a jar of honey, the honey will not pour out (provided, of course, that you quickly stand the jar back upright). Compared to water, honey is ever-sleep-deprived, taking its sweet time to move and respond to any changes. More viscous liquids can thus be considered more lethargic, while less viscous liquids can be considered more energetic. Think about the five most common liquids you use in your house. How can you categorize their relative viscosities, and how does that affect how you use them or what you use them for?

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