Food Engineering
Newtonian fluid
A fluid whose shear stress is directly proportional to shear rate, so viscosity is independent of shear.
Real-life application
Water and thin syrups behave this way, unlike ketchup or honey — which is why ketchup needs a shake to start flowing but water doesn't.
Related terms
Rheology
Quality & SensoryThe study of deformation and flow. Newtonian fluids have constant viscosity; non-Newtonian fluids do not.
Thixotropy
Quality & SensoryA time-dependent decrease in viscosity under constant shear, with recovery on standing.
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