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Compare liquids dripping from a spoon

Compare water, oil and honey under the same conditions and elapsed time.

See dripping ↓

Choose another visualization (19 topics)

How does it drip from a spoon?

Illustrated flow behaviour

Use water as the baseline to compare how oil and honey flow.

Choose the other two liquids directly above their illustrations.

Scene positionDrag to compare the start, middle and finish. Illustrative timing.

BaselineWater

Compare liquid 1

Compare liquid 2

Look at how the liquid leaves the spoon
Viscosity measures resistance to flow. Larger values mean more resistance as a liquid deforms and flows.

Motion, drained amounts and thread shapes are illustrative. Actual fall times and flow speeds are not predicted; viscosity ratios are not dripping-speed ratios.

Liquid conditions and how to read the illustration

Real dripping also depends on temperature, concentration, spoon geometry, surface tension and other properties. The matching spoons are an illustrative comparison, not a claim that heavier liquids fall more slowly in air. Food values describe particular samples, not every product.

Choose liquids to compare. Press the button for motion.

Compare values with everyday references

Baseline: water at 20°C ≈ 1 mPa·s (1×)

Compare values and their viscosity ratios to water. Each button applies its reference to Compare liquid 1 in the spoon illustration above.

Milk (processed whole-milk samples)About 3.7–4.9 mPa·sAbout 4× water

Condition: 20–22°C, samples with 4.5% fat; processing and storage affect the result.

Cooking oilAbout 50–60 mPa·sAbout 55× water

Condition: Measured examples at 25°C, including canola, soybean and olive oil; varies by type.

Honey (20°C)About 14,000–19,000 mPa·sAbout 15,000× water

Condition: Examples with crystals dissolved; temperature strongly affects the result.

More references (5)

Sugar water (50% by mass)About 15 mPa·sAbout 15.4× water

Condition: 20°C; concentration corresponds to 50 g sugar plus 50 g water.

Maple syrupAbout 140 mPa·sAbout 140× water

Condition: Rounded measured example for a light-coloured 66°Brix sample at 25°C.

Concentrated sugar water (70% by mass)About 480 mPa·sAbout 482× water

Condition: 20°C; 70 g sugar plus 30 g water, for the dissolved solution.

Concentrated glycerinAbout 1,500 mPa·sAbout 1,500× water

Condition: Dried, concentrated sample at about 20°C; water-containing products can be much less viscous.

Honey (30°C)About 4,000–5,000 mPa·sAbout 4,500× water

Condition: Examples with crystals dissolved; depends on variety and moisture.

Reference conditions

Ratios compare dynamic viscosity with rounded water at 1 mPa·s. Buttons state the exact applied reference. Consult each item for temperature and concentration. Food values vary widely with sample and temperature. The illustration does not derive physical speeds or times from these ratios.

Open for pipe-flow calculations (advanced conditions)

This model requires pipe diameter, length, pressure difference and density. It is separate from the spoon illustration above. Edit its numerical inputs to compare pipe-flow conditions.

Conditions

Input unit

Temperature does not automatically correct viscosity or density. Supply properties at that temperature.

Visual preview

Ready

2D · longitudinal pipe section

What to watchCompare viscosity at the same pipe size and pressure difference. Higher viscosity gives slower flow. The lower panel is a speed graph, not the path of the liquid.

Playback speed

0.00 sElapsed time

Newtonian, steady, fully developed laminar pipe model. This is not a CFD simulation of free surfaces or vortices.

How to read this view

Why does higher viscosity slow this flow?

At fixed pressure difference and geometry, mean velocity and volume flow are inversely proportional to dynamic viscosity. The profile is parabolic, with maximum velocity at the center and zero at the wall.

Dynamic versus kinematic viscosity

Kinematic viscosity ν = μ / ρ. mPa·s and cP describe dynamic viscosity; mm²/s and cSt describe kinematic viscosity. Density is used for the conversion.

Model range and equations

Mean velocity v = ΔP D² / (32 μ L), Q = πD²v / 4, Re = ρvD/μ. Drawing is limited here to Re≤2000 and L/D≥max(20, 0.05Re). Playback stops outside this tool-specific range; it is not an equipment compliance or safety assessment.

From viscosity to flow resistance

1. Match the unitsDynamic viscosity converter →
2. Calculate with the required inputsPipe pressure loss →
3. See the motion or differenceLiquid dripping from a spoonCurrent page

Pipe calculations also require flow, density, diameter, length and roughness. This is a different model from the spoon motion.

Each tool opens with its own conditions. Values are not transferred automatically.