A spray additive that thickens the spray liquid will produce droplets that are larger.

A spray additive that thickens the spray liquid will produce droplets that are larger.

• A. Smaller
• B. Larger
• C. No change
• D. Unpredictable

Answer: (B)

Increasing the liquid’s viscosity changes how the liquid breaks up in the nozzle. A thicker liquid resists being torn apart by the high-speed shear forces as it exits the nozzle, so the spray forms fewer, larger droplets instead of many small ones. In other words, adding a thickener makes atomization less aggressive, producing larger droplets. The other options don’t fit because changing viscosity in this way does alter droplet size and tends toward larger droplets, not smaller or unchanged.

Increasing the liquid’s viscosity changes how the liquid breaks up in the nozzle. A thicker liquid resists being torn apart by the high-speed shear forces as it exits the nozzle, so the spray forms fewer, larger droplets instead of many small ones. In other words, adding a thickener makes atomization less aggressive, producing larger droplets. The other options don’t fit because changing viscosity in this way does alter droplet size and tends toward larger droplets, not smaller or unchanged.