Why do people say weight when it’s viscosity?
- Thread starter Fishstyx
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MolaKule
Staff member
Some viewers might interpret this discussion in that manner, but in my view (my simple opinion), it is more appropriate to use modern, well-defined technical terms and nomenclature despite years of calling something by an archaic and incorrect name.
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From what I can tell Newton was not concerned with viscosity in terms of its ability to reduce friction between surfaces.
If we go into ancient times folks didn’t buy a bottle of Valvoline for their cart.
Go back far enough and even water drips were used as lubrication
Oil was a small part of the list of lubricants used.
Eventually someone sought to figure out which lubricants worked best and came up with applying the solid/liquid lubricant to a sliding surface and then applying a weighted carriage to slide.
The intent was to measure at what weight a particular lubricant remained effective.
I’m not saying we don’t have better means to spec a petroleum lubricants grade but I am saying that is why weight was a thing when referring to lubricants in historical times that has continued to this day.
Viscosity alone is wholly inadequate to universally describe a lubricant because of the extreme variability in application (a gear lube and a motor lube may have the same viscosity at a temperature but are used in wildly different local conditions
Bit of an adventure, I figured it was just a figure of speech but it actually was a thing at one point.
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Since the entire point of this topic seems to be “words” and the correct usage of them denoting meaning(s):
The general public are ignorant regarding many subjects, not unintelligent.
Ignorances can be fixed with education. Intelligence, or lack there of, cannot be fixed.
Z
MolaKule
Staff member
Your history is inaccurate and the text regarding Newton's discoveries and resulting laws was in the same document you quoted but you also elected to exclude Newton's discoveries, which is tantamount to suppressing and ignoring the evidence.
There is a specific reason that they call it the Application of Newton's Laws (1st, 2nd, and 3rd laws):
6.2 Friction | University Physics Volume 1
courses.lumenlearning.com
Application matters not. Viscosity is a definitive characteristic of all types of lubes (fluids) and even gasses and is one property that varies with temperature.
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MolaKule
Staff member
For those on BITOG who would like to learn more about Viscosity here are some references:
Putting the Simple Back into Viscosity (Google for PDF)
Written by John Sander Vice President of Research & Development Lubrication Engineers, Inc.
"...It is clear that – for the majority of the players in the lubricant industry – the proper viscosity of a fluid is the most important attribute in proper lubrication. There are several reasons for this, including, but not limited to:• Viscosity affects fluid film thickness under certain conditions of temperature and load in lubrication applications.• Viscosity affects heat generation and removal in bearings, cylinders and gears.• Viscosity determines the ease with which machines can be started in low-temperature conditions or can be kept running in high-temperature conditions.• Viscosity can be used to control a fluid’s sealing ability, which results in lower consumption."
What about Viscosity? by Dan Holdmeyer from Chevron Lubricants
www.stle.org
Oil Viscosity - How its Measured and Reported
www.machinerylubrication.com
Putting the Simple Back into Viscosity (Google for PDF)
Written by John Sander Vice President of Research & Development Lubrication Engineers, Inc.
"...It is clear that – for the majority of the players in the lubricant industry – the proper viscosity of a fluid is the most important attribute in proper lubrication. There are several reasons for this, including, but not limited to:• Viscosity affects fluid film thickness under certain conditions of temperature and load in lubrication applications.• Viscosity affects heat generation and removal in bearings, cylinders and gears.• Viscosity determines the ease with which machines can be started in low-temperature conditions or can be kept running in high-temperature conditions.• Viscosity can be used to control a fluid’s sealing ability, which results in lower consumption."
What about Viscosity? by Dan Holdmeyer from Chevron Lubricants
Lubrication Fundamentals
www.stle.org
Oil Viscosity - How its Measured and Reported
Oil Viscosity - How It's Measured and Reported
A lubricating oil’s viscosity is typically measured and defined in two ways, either based on its kinematic viscosity or its absolute (dynamic) viscosity. While the descriptions may seem simi…
www.machinerylubrication.com
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MolaKule
Staff member
Let's keep this thread as educational and technical as possible and cease personal attacks and sniping.
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It's grade.
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It was sarcasm
It's the "w"....always has been. I don't know anyone that says grade including a lawyer and an MD. I mean Johnny Tran and his cousin Lance know what's up 
40 weight? 50 weight? Poor Ted....hope at least it was Liquimoly and no MoS2...
Yes it's grade but correcting average/non-car people on the nuances like this is jerky. Just hand them the bottle of 30 grade when they ask for the 30 weight and say "here's the 30 grade you asked for".
40 weight? 50 weight? Poor Ted....hope at least it was Liquimoly and no MoS2...Yes it's grade but correcting average/non-car people on the nuances like this is jerky. Just hand them the bottle of 30 grade when they ask for the 30 weight and say "here's the 30 grade you asked for".
If they can tell you what SAE J300 is and what viscosity units they are in, then I'd give them a pass, lol.
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Not until he heard of CAFE.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Not until he heard of CAFE.
only on BITOG.A 5W-30 (some call it a "multi-weight", but it's technically a "multi-grade" oil) .... should be described as: "5 grade winter rating-30 grade KV100 rating". Think that will ever catch on?
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