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CHAP XI - VISCOSITY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2011

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Summary

363. In Chapters VIII and IX we developed a purely mathematical theory, which was found to lead to an explanation of the phenomena of viscosity, conduction of heat and diffusion of gases. This theory, although mathematically perfect, did not go far towards revealing the physical mechanism underlying the phenomena.

There is another method of treating these problems, in which we follow as closely as possible the physical processes which result in the phenomena. This method we now proceed to examine. It does not lead to results possessing the same mathematical exactness as the former method: its importance lies rather in its disclosure of the physical mechanism at work. Briefly, the three phenomena under consideration are regarded as transport phenomena—viscosity is a transport of momentum, conduction of heat is a transport of energy, and diffusion is a transport of mass. The mechanism of transport is provided by the free path; a molecule describing a free path of length λ is in effect transporting certain amounts of momentum, energy and mass through a distance λ. If the gas were in a steady state each such transport would be exactly balanced by an equal and opposite transport in the reverse direction, and the net transport would always be nil. But if the gas is not in a steady state there will always be an unbalanced residue, and this want of balance results in the phenomena we wish to study.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009
First published in: 1904

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  • VISCOSITY
  • James Jeans
  • Book: The Dynamical Theory of Gases
  • Online publication: 05 July 2011
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511694370.012
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  • VISCOSITY
  • James Jeans
  • Book: The Dynamical Theory of Gases
  • Online publication: 05 July 2011
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511694370.012
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • VISCOSITY
  • James Jeans
  • Book: The Dynamical Theory of Gases
  • Online publication: 05 July 2011
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511694370.012
Available formats
×