[Physics] the difference between shear viscosity and shear modulus

elasticitymaterial-science

I was looking at a paper on a viscoelastic material and the author derived a formula that featured shear modulus and shear viscosity. I don't really see what the difference between these two parameters is, they both seem to mean the same thing as far as I can see, which is resistance to shearing of the material? So what differentiates them?

Best Answer

Shear viscosity is relevant when there is a velocity gradient in the material. The shear modulus applies in the static case.

For viscoelastic materials, both factors may matter. In principle, if you suddenly apply a shear to a material, there will be initial resistance to the motion due to the viscosity: once the molecules settle, only the elasticity provides a restoring force.

What differentiates them, then, is this: shear modulus refers to static phenomena, shear viscosity refers to dynamic phenomena.