COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Department of Mathematics and Physics

Hand-out on Fluid Mechanics

Fluid Collection of molecules that are randomly arranged and held together
by weak cohesive forces and by forces exerted by the walls of a
container. Both liquids and gases are fluids
Divisions of Fluid 1. Fluid statics – mechanics of fluids at rest
Mechanics 2. Fluid dynamics – mechanics of fluids in motion
Mass Density (ρ) Important factor that determines its behavior as a fluid
𝑚 Where m = mass;
ρ=
𝑉 V = volume
SI Unit: [kg/m3]
Example: The body of a man whose weight is about 690 N contains about
5.2 x 10-3 m3 of blood. The density of blood is 1060 kg/m3. (a) What is the
blood’s weight? (b) Express it as a percentage of the body weight.
Solution:
a) The mass and weight of the blood are
𝑘𝑔
𝑚 = ρ𝑉 = (1060 [ ]) (5.2𝑥10−3 𝑚3 ) = 5.5[𝑘𝑔]
𝑚3
𝑚
𝑤 = 𝑚𝑔 = (5.5[𝑘𝑔])(9.80 [ 2 ]) = 54[𝑁]
𝑠
b) The percentage of body weight contributed by the blood is
𝑤𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 54[𝑁]
%= 𝑥100% = 𝑥100 = 7.8%
𝑤𝑚𝑎𝑛 690[𝑁]
Specific Gravity Ratio of density of a substance and density of a standard reference
(S.G.) material, usually to be water at 4˚C
Its concept is a convenient way to compare densities
Unitless
ρ𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠 Where ρsubs density of a substance
𝑆. 𝐺. =
ρ𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡4𝐶 ρwater at 4C density of a water at 4°C
ρ𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠 wsubs weight of substance
𝑆. 𝐺. =
𝑘𝑔 wsubs weight of water at 4°C
1000 [ 3 ]
𝑚
or
𝑤𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠
𝑆. 𝐺. =
𝑤𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡4𝐶
S.G. < 1 : Substance floats on the reference material (ice and water)
S.G. > 1 : Substance sinks in the reference material (coin and water)
Pressure The magnitude of force perpendicular to a surface divided by the area
over which the forces acts
 Fluids do not sustain shearing stresses or tensile stresses; thus, the only stress
that can be exerted on an object submerged in a static fluid is one
that tends to compress the object from all sides.
the force exerted by a static fluid on an object is always perpendicular to
the surfaces of the object.
𝐹 Where F is force
𝑃=
𝐴 A is area
SI Unit: Pascal (Pa): 1 [Pa] = 1 [N/m2]

If pressure varies over an area, evaluate the infinitesimal force dF on an

infinitesimal area dA:
𝑑𝐹 = 𝑃𝑑𝐴
Example: The mattress of a water bed is 2.00 m long by 2.00 m wide
and 30.0 cm deep. a) Find the weight of the water in the mattress. b)
Find the pressure exerted by the water on the floor when the bed rests in
its normal position. Assume that the entire lower surface of the bed makes
contact with the floor.
Solution:
a) The density of fresh water is 1 000 kg/m 3 and the volume of the water
filling the mattress is
𝑉 = (2.0[𝑚])(2.0[𝑚])(0.3[𝑚]) = 1.2[𝑚3 ]
Hence, the mass of the water in the bed is
𝑘𝑔
𝑚 = ρ𝑉 = (1000 [ 3
])(1.2[𝑚3 ]) = 1.2𝑥103 [𝑘𝑔]
𝑚
and its weight is
𝑚
𝑤 = 𝑚𝑔 = (1.2𝑥103 [𝑘𝑔])(9.8 [ 2 ]) = 1.18𝑥104 [𝑁]
𝑠
**This is approximately 2 650 lb. (A regular bed weighs approximately 300
lb.) Because this load is so great, such water bed is best placed in the
basement or on a sturdy, well supported floor.
b) When the bed is in its normal position, the area in contact with the floor
is 4.00 [m2]; thus we find that
1.18𝑥104 [𝑁]
𝑃= = 2.95𝑥103 𝑃𝑎
4.00[𝑚2 ]
Pressure and Water pressure increases with depth.
Depth in a static **Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude; for this reason,
fluid aircraft flying at high altitudes must have pressurized cabins.
Where P = pressure exerted by the liquid on
the bottom face of the sample
Po = pressure on the top face
PA = upward force exerted by the outside
fluid on the bottom of the cylinder
PoA = the downward force exerted on the
top has a magnitude P0A.
M = mass of liquid in cylinder =ρV =ρAh
𝑃 = 𝑃𝑜 + ρ𝑔ℎ Mg = weight of the liquid in the cylinder
** Pressure P at a depth h =ρAhg
below a point in the liquid at Because the cylinder is in equilibrium, the
which the pressure is P0 is net force acting on it must be zero.
greater by an amount ρgh

𝑃𝑜 = 1.03𝑥105 𝑃𝑎 = 1𝑎𝑡𝑚 If the liquid is open to the atmosphere and

P0 is the pressure at the surface of the
liquid, then P0 is atmospheric pressure.
Pascal’s Law
States that a change in the pressure applied to a fluid is transmitted
undiminished to every point of the fluid and to the walls of the
container.
Application: hydraulic press
A force of magnitude F1 is applied to
a small piston of surface area A1.
The pressure is transmitted
through an incompressible liquid
to a larger piston of surface area
A2. Because the pressure must be
the same on both sides, P =F1/A1=
F 2/A2. Therefore, the force l is
greater than the force F1 by a
factor A2/A1. By designing a
hydraulic press with appropriate
areas A1 and A2, a large output
force can be applied by means
of a small input force. Hydraulic
brakes, car lifts, hydraulic jacks,
and forklifts all make use of this
principle.
Example:
In a car lift used in a service station, compressed air exerts a force on a
small piston that has a circular cross section and a radius of 5 [cm].
This pressure is transmitted by a liquid to a piston that has a radius of
15 [cm].
a) What force must the compressed air exert to lift a car weighing 13 300
[N]?
b) What air pressure produces this force?
Solution:
a) Because the pressure exerted by the compressed air is transmitted
undiminished throughout the liquid, we have
𝐴1 π(5.00𝑥10−2 [𝑚])2
𝐹1 = ( ) 𝐹2 = (1.33𝑥104 [𝑁]) = 1.48𝑥103 [𝑁]
𝐴2 π(15.00𝑥10−2 [𝑚])2
b) The air pressure that produces this force is
 𝐹1 1.48𝑥103 [𝑁]
𝑃= = = 1.88𝑥105 [𝑃𝑎]
𝐴1 π(15.00𝑥10−2 [𝑚])2
Bouyant Force (B) The upward force exerted by a fluid on any immersed object
Archimedes’s principle
States that the magnitude of the buoyant force always equals the weight
of the fluid displaced by the object.
Case 1: Totally Submerged Object Case 2: Floating Object
When an object is totally Now consider an object of volume
submerged in a fluid of density ρ Vobj and density ρobj < ρfluid in static
fluid, the magnitude of the upward equilibrium floating on the surface of
buoyant force is a fluid—that is, an object that is only
𝐵 = ρ𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑔𝑉 = ρ𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑔𝑉𝑜𝑏𝑗 partially submerged (Figure below). In
this case, the upward buoyant force is
Net force: balanced by the downward
𝐵 − 𝐹𝑔 = (ρ𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 − ρ𝑜𝑏𝑗 )𝑔𝑉𝑜𝑏𝑗 gravitational force acting on the
object. If Vfluid is the volume of the fluid
Where Vobj = is the volume of the displaced by the object (this volume
object is the same as the volume of that part
ρobj = density of the object of the object that is beneath the
ρfluid = density of the fluid surface of the fluid), the buoyant
(a) If ρobj < ρfluid,Fg < B and object force has a magnitude B= ρfluidgVfluid.
accelerates upward. Because the weight of the object is
(b) If ρobj > ρfluid,Fg > B and object Fg=Mg=ρobjgVobj, and because Fg = B,
accelerates downward. we see that ρfluidgVfluid= ρobjgVobj, or
If ρobj = ρfluid,Fg = B and object
𝑉𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 ρ𝑜𝑏𝑗
=
remains in equilibrium (0 net force). 𝑉𝑜𝑏𝑗 ρ𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑
Thus, the direction of motion of an Example: Under normal conditions,
object submerged in a fluid is the weight of a fish is slightly greater
determined only by the densities of than the buoyant force due to water.
the object and the fluid. To float in water, fish internally
regulates the size of its air-filled swim
bladder to increase its volume and
the magnitude of the buoyant force
acting on it.

Fluid Dynamics Flow of fluid in motion can be classified as steady or unsteady.

Steady or Laminar If each particle of the fluid follows a smooth path such that the paths of
flow different particles never cross each other
If the velocity of fluid particles passing any point remains constant in time
Unsteady flow Whenever the velocity at a point changes as time passes.
Turbulent flow is an extreme kind of unsteady flow and occurs when there
are sharp bends in the path of a fast-moving fluid, as in the rapids.
 In turbulent flow, the velocity at any particular point changes erratically
from moment to moment, both in magnitude and direction.
Viscosity commonly used in the description of fluid flow to characterize the degree
of internal friction in the fluid.
Internal friction or associated with the resistance that two adjacent layers of fluid have to
viscous force moving relative to each other.
Example:
A viscous fluid, such as honey, does not flow readily and is said to be
have a large viscosity.
Water is less viscous and flows more readily and is said to have small
viscosity.
Ideal Fluid flow Because the motion of real fluids is very complex and not fully
understood, we make some simplifying assumptions in our approach.
Four assumptions:
1. The fluid is nonviscous. In a nonviscous fluid, internal friction is neglected.
An object moving through the fluid experiences no viscous force.
2. The flow is steady. In steady (laminar) flow, the velocity of the fluid at
each point remains constant.
3. The fluid is incompressible. The density of an incompressible fluid is
constant.
4. The flow is irrotational. In irrotational flow, the fluid has no angular
momentum about any point. If a small paddle wheel placed anywhere
in the fluid does not rotate about the wheel’s center of mass, then the
flow is irrotational.
Streamline path taken by a fluid particle under steady flow
The velocity of the particle is
always tangent to the streamline, as
shown in figure below (left side). A set
of streamlines like the ones shown in
figure form a tube of flow. Note that
fluid particles cannot flow into or out
of the sides of this tube; if they could,
then the streamlines would cross each
other.

Equation of Consider an ideal fluid flowing through a pipe of nonuniform size, as

continuity for fluids illustrated in the figure. The particles in the fluid
move along streamlines in steady flow. We
then get
ρ1 𝐴1 𝑣1 = ρ2 𝐴2 𝑣2
It states that the mass flow rate ρAv has the
same value along along a pipe/tube that has
a single entry and a single exit point for fluid
flow.

SI Unit for mass flow rate: kg/s

Volume flow rate 𝐴1 𝑣1 = 𝐴2 𝑣2 The density of an incompressible fluid
does not change during flow, so
that ρ1 = ρ2, and the equation of
continuity becomes the volume
flow rate.