# Oil... how does it work? \[split\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\ **Created:** [January 6, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/oil-how-does-it-work-split/262189 "2012-01-06T23:40:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 101
**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/oil-how-does-it-work-split/262189/101 "2012-01-09T11:31:32Z")
> [@FS street go cart 250obo running strong drove it the last 2 days!](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fs-street-go-cart-250obo-running-strong-drove-it-the-last-2-days/47781/3): > > how is he disagreeing with me??? > > more viscous=thicker > less viscous=thinner > > a 20w oil at 32F is thicker (more viscous) than a 50w oil at 212, that’s just a fact lol, > > an SAE20 oil would be thinner at 32 than an SAE50 at 32. > > they literally just put two numbers to show how the oil acts under two different, common conditions, stop comparing them to each other FFS Because more viscous is thinner and Less viscous is thicker. Better correct yourself before you have Wayne jumping in here calling you dumb. Viscosity is a unit of measurement. It’s not relative. It’s going to vary at different temperatures yes, but an inch is an inch and a foot is a foot. It’s a unit of measurement. If two fluids are tested at entirely different temps their viscosity will be recorded as the same, at those corresponding temps. Here is a proposal for you. You measure a random fluid at 50 degrees celsius and it’s rather fluid. So you think it’s rather viscous so you give it a reading of 60. You freeze it at zero and it becomes molasses like, thicker, what reading what you give it? Keep in mind, the higher the number the thicker. :pop --- _[View the full topic](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/oil-how-does-it-work-split/262189)._