Enter the density and kinematic viscosity into the calculator to determine the dynamic viscosity of a fluid. This calculator helps in converting kinematic viscosity to dynamic viscosity when the density of the fluid is known.

Dynamic Viscosity Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the dynamic viscosity.

μ = ρ * ν

Variables:

  • μ is the dynamic viscosity (Pa·s)
  • ρ is the density of the fluid (kg/m³)
  • ν is the kinematic viscosity (m²/s)

To calculate the dynamic viscosity, multiply the density of the fluid by the kinematic viscosity.

What is Dynamic Viscosity?

Dynamic viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. It is a property that describes the internal friction of a moving fluid. A fluid with large viscosity resists motion because its molecular makeup gives it a lot of internal friction. A fluid with low viscosity flows easily because its molecular makeup results in very little friction when it is in motion. It is an important property in the study of fluid dynamics and is typically measured in pascal-seconds (Pa·s).

How to Calculate Dynamic Viscosity?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Dynamic Viscosity.


  1. First, determine the density of the fluid (ρ) in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³).
  2. Next, determine the kinematic viscosity (ν) in square meters per second (m²/s).
  3. Next, gather the formula from above = μ = ρ * ν.
  4. Finally, calculate the Dynamic Viscosity (μ) in pascal-seconds (Pa·s).
  5. After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem : 

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

Density of the fluid (ρ) = 850 kg/m³

Kinematic viscosity (ν) = 0.0001 m²/s