The Reynolds number is the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces within a

fluid which is subjected to relative internal movement due to different fluid

velocities, which is known as a boundary layer in the case of a bounding
surface such as the interior of a pipe.

The Reynolds number is defined as

Reynolds number = =

where:

 ρ is the density of the fluid (SI unit: kg/m3)

 u is the velocity of the fluid with respect to the object (m/s)
 L is a characteristic linear dimension (m)
 μ is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid.(Pa·s or N·s/m2 or kg/m·s)
 ν is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid.(m2/s).

Three application of Reynolds number in our real life are:-

1. When we pour honey from the jar into an empty glass. The fluid has it's
own cohesive force along with adhesive force along the walls of the jar. While
pouring out, the honey's gravitational potential energy gets converted into the
kinetic energy. Due to the gravitational pull on the viscous fluid, the fluid also
experiences an inertial force, thus accelerates. But it falls at a very slow rate
because of viscosity of the fluid. When we compare this viscous force of the
fluid with the inertial force for the fluid, it will give a number. Because force
divided by force will be a constant value and that value is used as a
comparable quantity for measuring which of the forces among the viscous and
inertial is greater which highly influence the nature of the flow. Whether the
flow would be laminar like the flow of honey where viscous forces are greater
 than the inertial forces; or turbulent (random but predictable) flow like waves
in the ocean where inertial forces are very huge as compared to viscous forces.

2. Reynolds numbers are used in airfoil design to (among other things) manage
"scale effect" when computing/comparing characteristics (a tiny wing, scaled
to be huge, will perform differently).Fluid dynamicists define the chord
Reynolds number R like this:

Re = , where V is the flight speed, c is the chord length, and ν is the

kinematic viscosity of the fluid in which the airfoil operates, which is

1.460×10−5 m2/s for the atmosphere at sea level.In some special studies a
characteristic length other than chord may be used; rare is the "span Reynolds
number", which is not to be confused with span wise stations on a wing, where
chord is still used.

3. Poiseuilles law on blood circulation in the body is dependent on laminar flow.

In turbulent flow the flow rate is proportional to the square root of the pressure
gradient, as opposed to its direct proportionality to pressure gradient in laminar
flow.

Using the definition of the Reynolds number we can see that a large diameter
with rapid flow, where the density of the blood is high, tends towards
turbulence. Rapid changes in vessel diameter may lead to turbulent flow, for
instance when a narrower vessel widens to a larger one. Furthermore, a bulge
of atheroma may be the cause of turbulent flow, where audible turbulence may
be detected with a stethoscope.