AbstractIn order to make the kinetic theory of liquid viscosity tractable, an approximate from is suggested for the perturbation of the radial distribution function of a monatomic liquid by a nonuniform flow field. Substitution of this form into the microscopic expression for the pressure tensor yields an equation for liquid viscosity in terms of the equilibrium distribution function and the interatomic potential energy function. This equation establishes the basis for a corresponding states correlation of the viscosity of liquid metals based on atomic parameters.The viscosity data for twenty‐one molten metals are made to fall on a single curve by the adjustment of one microscopic parameter. It is found that this empirically determined parameter has the proper fundamental significance. Therefore it is possible to estimate it independently and to use the general correlation for estimating the viscosity of a metal for which data are not available. Also it is suggested that the atomic parameters determined from viscosity data in this way might be used to correlate other properties of the liquid metals.