Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
⚛️

Poise (unit)

physical science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Have you ever noticed how some liquids flow easily? Water runs fast, but honey moves much slower. Scientists measure this thickness using a unit called the poise. This unit measures something called dynamic viscosity. Dynamic viscosity describes how a liquid resists moving. It is part of a system called CGS. This system uses centimetres, grams, and seconds.

To understand how it works, think about flow. A liquid with high viscosity is very thick. It does not slide past itself easily. A liquid with low viscosity flows very smoothly. The poise helps us put a number on this. We can compare different liquids using these numbers. This helps us know how they will act.

This unit has a special name. It honors a person named Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille. He is linked to the Hagen–Poiseuille equation. This equation helps explain how things flow. Scientists use his name to remember this unit. It is a way to show respect. His work helps us measure the world.

Most people use a smaller unit called the centipoise. The symbol for this is cP. One centipoise is one hundredth of a poise. It is also one millipascal-second in SI units. Water is a great way to use this. At 20 °C, water is almost exactly 1 centipoise. At 25 °C, water has a value of 0.890 cP. This happens at a pressure of 1 atmosphere.

Other systems use different names for these things. The International System of Units uses the pascal-second. One centipoise is the same as one millipascal-second. You might also see symbols like cps or cp. These all help us talk about thickness. We can use these units in many places. They make science clear for everyone.

289 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.