What characteristic of a fluid is primarily exploited in a Coriolis flow meter?

The characteristic of a fluid that is primarily exploited in a Coriolis flow meter is density. Coriolis flow meters operate based on the principle that when a fluid flows through a vibrating tube, the density of the fluid affects the frequency and phase shift of the vibrations. When fluid passes through the Coriolis meter, the mass flow rate is determined by measuring the changes in the oscillation frequency caused by the mass (and therefore density) of the fluid. This relationship allows for accurate measurement of mass flow, and since density is a critical factor in this equation, it is fundamentally utilized in the operation of these meters.

While viscosity, velocity, and temperature are important properties of fluids, they do not play the primary role in the working principle of a Coriolis flow meter. Viscosity deals with a fluid's internal resistance to flow, velocity concerns the speed of the fluid moving through the meter, and temperature can influence fluid properties but is not the main focus in the Coriolis measurement technique. Thus, the accurate calculation and measurement rely heavily on the density of the fluid being measured.