Phys101 Lectures 23-27

Fluids

Key points:
• Pressure and Pascal’s Principle
• Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
• Bernoulli’s Equation
• Poiseuille’s Law

Ref: 13-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.

Page 1
 13-1 Phases of Matter
The three common phases of matter are solid, liquid,
and gas.
A solid has a definite shape and size.
A liquid has a fixed volume but can be any shape.
A gas can be any shape and also can be easily
compressed.
Liquids and gases both flow, and are called fluids.
 13-2 Density and Specific Gravity
The density ρ of a substance is its mass per
unit volume:

The SI unit for density is kg/m3. Density is also sometimes given in

g/cm3; to convert g/cm3 to kg/m3, multiply by 1000. Why?
3
 
6
g 1kg 100cm 10
1g / cm 3  1 3    kg / m 3
 1000 kg / m 3

cm 1000 g  1m  103

Water at 4°C has a density of 1 g/cm3 = 1000 kg/m3.

The specific gravity of a substance is the ratio of its density to that

of water.
 13-3 Pressure in Fluids
Pressure is defined as the force per unit area.

Pressure is a scalar; the units of

pressure in the SI system are pascals:
1 Pa = 1 N/m2.
i-clicker question 23-1:
unit conversion from cm2 to m2.

500 cm2 is equal to

A) 50.0 m2.
B) 5.00 m2.
C) 0.500 m2.
D) 0.0500 m2.
E) 0.00500 m2.

2
2  1m  500 2
500cm  500cm  
2
  m  0.05m 2
 100cm  10000
Example 13-2: Calculating pressure.
The two feet of a 60-kg person cover an area of 500 cm2.
(a) Determine the pressure exerted by the two feet on the ground.
(b) If the person stands on one foot, what will the pressure be
under that foot?

F mg 60  9.8
(a) P    1.2 104 N / m 2
A A 0.050

(b)
F mg 60  9.8
P    2.4 104 N / m 2
A A 0.025
13-3 Pressure in Fluids
Pressure is the same in every
direction in a static fluid at a
given depth; if it were not, the
fluid would flow.
 13-3 Pressure in Fluids
For a fluid at rest, there is also no
component of force parallel to any
solid surface—once again, if there
were, the fluid would flow.
 13-3 Pressure in Fluids
The pressure at a depth h below the surface of the liquid is due to
the weight of the liquid above it. We can quickly calculate:

P0

This is the pressure due to the

liquid. It equals the pressure in
on A if what above the liquid
P surface is vacuum.
However, if there is an external
pressure on the surface of the
liquid such as the atmospheric
In general, pressure P0, then the actual
pressure on A should be
P  P0  P  rgh P = rgh + P0 .
Example 13-3: Pressure at a faucet.
The surface of the water in a storage tank is 30 m above a water faucet
in the kitchen of a house. Calculate the difference in water pressure
between the faucet and the surface of the water in the tank.

P  rgh
 1.0 103 kg / m3 9.8 m / s 2 30 m 
 2.9 105 N / m 2
 2.9 105 Pa
 13-4 Atmospheric Pressure and Gauge
Pressure
At sea level the atmospheric pressure is about 1.013 x 105
N/m2; this is called 1 atmosphere (atm).
Another unit of pressure is the bar:
1 bar = 1.00 x 105 N/m2.
Standard atmospheric pressure is just over 1 bar.
This is 10 times as large as the pressure we apply on
our feet ! However, it does not crush us, as our body
maintains an internal pressure that balances it.

The atmospheric pressure is lower on tall mountains. It

drops by 50% at an elevation of about 5000m.
Why?
I-clicker question 23-2
demo
Conceptual Example 13-6: Finger holds
water in a straw.
You insert a straw of length l into a tall
glass of water. You place your finger
over the top of the straw, capturing
some air above the water but
preventing any additional air from
getting in or out, and then you lift the
straw from the water. You find that the
straw retains most of the water. Does
the air in the space between your
finger and the top of the water have a
pressure P that is greater than, equal A) P > P0
to, or less than the atmospheric B) P = P0
pressure P0 outside the straw? C) P < P0

If P=0, how much water can be held by the atmospheric pressure?

P0 1.013 105 N / m 2
P0 A  mg  rgAh , h   10m
rg  
1.0 10 kg / m 9.8 m / s
3 3 2
 demo
 13-4 Atmospheric Pressure and Gauge
Pressure
Most pressure gauges measure the pressure above the atmospheric
pressure—this is called the gauge pressure.
The absolute pressure is the sum of the atmospheric pressure and the
gauge pressure.

i-clicker question 23-2

―The pressure in a flat tire is zero‖. Here ―the pressure‖ refers
to:

A. The absolute pressure.

B. The gauge pressure.

Note: The normal pressure in a tire is typically 30 psi (pounds

per square inches). 1 psi = 6895 pa. The atmospheric
pressure is about 15 psi.
 13-5 Pascal’s Principle
If an external pressure is applied to a confined fluid, the pressure at
every point within the fluid increases by that amount.
This principle is used, for example, in hydraulic lifts and hydraulic
brakes.

Pin  Pout
Fin Fout A
 , Fout  out Fin
Ain Aout Ain
 if Aout  Ain , Fout  Fin
13-6 Measurement of Pressure; Gauges
and the Barometer
There are a number of different
types of pressure gauges. This
one is an open-tube manometer.
The pressure in the open end is
atmospheric pressure; the
pressure being measured will
cause the fluid to rise until the
pressures on both sides at the
same height are equal.

P  rgh  P0
 13-6 Measurement of Pressure;
Gauges and the Barometer
Here are two more devices
for measuring pressure:
the aneroid gauge and the
tire pressure gauge.
 13-6 Measurement of Pressure;
Gauges and the Barometer
Pressure is measured in a variety of different
units. This table gives the conversion factors.
13-6 Measurement of Pressure;
Gauges and the Barometer
This is a mercury barometer, developed
by Torricelli to measure atmospheric
pressure. The height of the column of
mercury is such that the pressure in the
tube at the surface level is 1 atm.
Therefore, pressure is often quoted in
millimeters (or inches) of mercury.
13-6 Measurement of Pressure;
Gauges and the Barometer
Any liquid can serve in a Torricelli-
style barometer, but the most dense
ones are the most convenient. This
barometer uses water.

P0  rgh ,
P0
h
rg
1.013  105 N / m 2

1.0 103 kg / m3 9.8 m / s 2 
 10m
Conceptual Example 13-7: Suction.
A student suggests suction-cup shoes for Space Shuttle
astronauts working on the exterior of a spacecraft.
Having just studied this Chapter, you gently remind him
of the fallacy of this plan. What is it?

There is no atmosphere
in the outer space.
 13-7 Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
This is an object submerged in a fluid. There is an upward force on
the object due to fluid pressure because the pressures at the top and
bottom of it are different.
This upward force is called the
buoyant force

Which is equal to the weight of the

fluid that takes up the same volume
 as the object.
mg
y - comp of net force : F2  F1  mg  mF g  mg  Vg r F  r 
Therefore, float if r  r F  ; but sink if r  r F  . demo
 13-7 Buoyancy and Archimedes’
Principle
If an object’s density is less than that of water, there will
be an upward net force on it, and it will rise until it is
partially out of the water.
 13-7 Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
Archimedes’ principle:

The buoyant force on an object immersed in

a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by that object.
I-clicker question 23-3: Conceptual Example 13-8: Two pails of water.
Consider two identical pails of water filled to the brim. One pail
contains only water, the other has a piece of wood floating in it.
Which pail has the greater weight?

A. The pail with wood.

B. The pail without wood.
C. The two pails have the
same weight.

The buoyant force on the wood object equals the weight of the wood
object (static equilibrium).
Also, the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the spilled (i.e.,
displaced) water (Archimedes’ principle).
In other words, the weight of wood is the same as the weight of the
spilled water.
Therefore, putting the wood doesn’t change the weight of the pail.
Example 13-9: Recovering a submerged
statue.
A 70-kg ancient statue lies at the bottom
of the sea. Its volume is 3.0 x 104 cm3.
How much force is needed to lift it?

If the statue were in the air, the force

needed to lift it would be mg. i.e., you y
need to overcome the gravity.
Now the statue is submerged in water.
The buoyant force due to water is
helping you. The force you need now is
F  mg  FB
 
  
 F  mg  FB  0  F  mg  FB  0
F  mg  r waterVg
 70  9.8  1000  0.03  9.8  390 N
The apparent weight of the statue is 390N. demo
Example 13-10: Archimedes: Is the crown gold?
When a crown of mass 14.7 kg is submerged in water, an accurate
scale reads only 13.4 kg. Is the crown made of gold?
Idea: density of Au: 19.3 x 103 kg/m3
From the FBDs:
FT  mg  0 y
FT  FB  mg  0

W  mg  0
W   FB  mg  0
W r

W W  rF
rC W 14.7
   11.3
r water W  W  14.7  13.4

The density of the crown is 11.3 x 103 kg/m3 . It’s made of lead (or
some alloy) !
 13-7 Buoyancy and Archimedes’
Principle
If an object’s density is less than that of water, there will
be an upward net force on it, and it will rise until it is
partially out of the water.
 13-7 Buoyancy and Archimedes’
Principle
For a floating object, the fraction that is submerged is
given by the ratio of the object’s density to that of the fluid.

FB  mg
r FVdisplg  r OVO g
Vdispl rO

VO rF
Example 13-11: Hydrometer calibration.
A hydrometer is a simple instrument used to
measure the specific gravity of a liquid by
indicating how deeply the instrument sinks in the 
liquid. This hydrometer consists of a glass tube,
FB
weighted at the bottom, which is 25.0 cm long and
2.00 cm2 in cross-sectional area, and has a mass
of 45.0 g. How far from the end should the 1.000
mark be placed?
mg  FB  r FVg  r F Ahg
mg m
h 
r F Ag r F A
When the specific gravity is 1.000,
r F  rWater  1.000 103 kg / m3
3 
45.0 10 mg
h 4
 0.225 m
1.000 10  2.00 10
3
Example 13-12: Helium balloon.
What volume V of helium is needed if a balloon is
to lift a load of 180 kg (including the weight of the
empty balloon)?

FB  mload g  mHe g
Here we ignore the
rairVg  mload g  r HeVg volume of the load.

r airV  mload  r HeV

mload 180
V   160m3
r air  r He  1.29  0.179
13-8 Fluids in Motion; Flow Rate and
the Equation of Continuity
If the flow of a fluid is smooth, it is called streamline or
laminar flow (a).
Above a certain speed, the flow becomes turbulent (b).
Turbulent flow has eddies; the viscosity of the fluid is
much greater when eddies are present.

(a)

(b)
 Flow Rate and the Equation of Continuity
We will deal with laminar flow.
The mass flow rate is the mass that passes a given point per unit
time. The flow rates at any two points must be equal, as long as no
fluid is being added or taken away.

m1
m2

This gives us the equation of continuity:

Since (in = out, m1 m2 )

then
 13-8 Fluids in Motion; Flow Rate and the
Equation of Continuity
If the density doesn’t change—typical for liquids—this
simplifies to A1v1 = A2v2. Where the pipe is wider, the
flow is slower.

A1v1 = A2v2 (Volume in = Volume out)

Example 13-13: Blood flow.
In humans, blood flows from the heart into the
aorta, from which it passes into the major
arteries. These branch into the small arteries
(arterioles), which in turn branch into myriads of
tiny capillaries. The blood returns to the heart
via the veins. The radius of the aorta is about
1.2 cm, and the blood passing through it has a
speed of about 40 cm/s. A typical capillary has a
radius of about 4 x 10-4 cm, and blood flows
through it at a speed of about 5 x 10-4 m/s.
Estimate the number of capillaries that are in
the body.
A1v1  NA2v2
NA2 is the total cross sectional area of all the capillarie s
A1v1  R 2 v1 R 2 v1
N  
A2 v2  r 2 v2 r 2 v2

N
1.2 10   0.4
2 2
 7 109
4 10   5 10
6 2 4
 Bernoulli’s Equation m1  m2

In time interval t, m1 moves in and m2

moves out. Continuity requires
m1 m2  m  r A1v1t  r A2v2 t
Work done by external pressure:
WP  P1 A1 v1t  P2 A2v1t  P1  P2 
m
r l  v t
Ideally, when there is no drag, Wp should
be equal to the gain in mechanical energy:
m
P1  P2   mgy2  1 mv22  mgy1  1 mv12
r 2 2
1 1
P1  P2  r gy2  r v22  r gy1  r v12
2 2
1 1
P1  r gy1  r v12  P2  r gy2  r v22 This is known as Bernoulli’s
2 2 equation, which is a
1 consequence of conservation
OR : P  r gy  r v 2  constant
2 of energy.
Bernoulli’s principle: Lift on an airplane wing is due
to the different air speeds and
When the height y doesn’t pressures on the two surfaces
change much, Bernoulli’s of the wing.
equation becomes
Faster v
1 2 1 2
P1  r v1  P2  r v2
2 2
1
OR : P  r v 2  constant
2

Where the velocity of a fluid is

high, the pressure is low, and Slower v
where the velocity is low, the
pressure is high.
Demo
Example 13-15: Flow and pressure in a hot-water heating system.
Water circulates throughout a house in a hot-water heating system. If
the water is pumped at a speed of 0.5 m/s through a 4.0-cm-diameter
pipe in the basement under a pressure of 3.0 atm, what will be the flow
speed and pressure in a 2.6-cm-diameter pipe on the second floor 5.0
m above? Assume the pipes do not divide into branches.
2
[Solution]  0.04 
P1  3.0 atm , v1  0.5 m / s , A1      0.00126 m , y1  0
2

2
 2 
 0.026 
A2    6
  5.3110 m , y2  h  5.0 m
2

 2 
v1 A1 0.5  0.00126
v1 A1  v2 A2  v2    1.19 m / s 2

A2 5.31106
1 1
P1  r gy1  r v12  P2  r gy2  r v22
2 2
1 1
P2  P1  r v12  r v22  r gy2
2 2
 3.0 10  10000.52  1.19 2   10009.85.0  2.5 105 Pa
5 1
2
 13-10 Applications of Bernoulli’s Principle:
Torricelli, Airplanes, Baseballs, TIA
Using Bernoulli’s principle, we find that the speed of fluid
coming from a spigot on an open tank is:

or

This is called Torricelli’s

theorem.

Compared to conservation of
mechanical energy of a falling object:
1
mgh  mv2 ,  v  2 gh
2
 Applications of Bernoulli’s Principle
A ball’s path will curve due to its spin,
which results in the air speeds on the
two sides of the ball not being equal;
therefore there is a pressure
difference.
Free kick – a curving soccer ball.

Video

The air travels faster relative

to the center of the ball where
the periphery of the ball is
moving in the same direction
as the airflow.
 13-10 Applications of Bernoulli’s
Principle: Torricelli, Airplanes,
Baseballs, TIA
A venturi meter can be used to measure fluid
flow by measuring pressure differences.
 13-11 Viscosity
Real fluids have some internal
friction, called viscosity.
The viscosity can be measured;
it is found from the relation
 13-12 Flow in Tubes; Poiseuille’s Equation,
Blood Flow
The rate of flow in a fluid in a round tube depends on the viscosity of
the fluid, the pressure difference, and the dimensions of the tube.
The volume flow rate is proportional to the pressure difference,
inversely proportional to the length of the tube and to the pressure
difference, and proportional to the fourth power of the radius of the
tube.

R P1  P2 
4
Q
8l
This has consequences for blood flow—if the radius of the artery is
half what it should be, the pressure has to increase by a factor of 16 to
keep the same flow.
Example: 13-71 (MP #9).
 Summary of Chapter 13
• Phases of matter: solid, liquid, gas
• Liquids and gases are called fluids.
• Density is mass per unit volume.
• Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of the
material to that of water.
• Pressure is force per unit area.
• Pressure at a depth h is ρgh.
• External pressure applied to a confined fluid is
transmitted throughout the fluid.
 Summary of Chapter 13
• Atmospheric pressure is measured with a
barometer.
• Gauge pressure is the total pressure minus the
atmospheric pressure.
• An object submerged partly or wholly in a fluid
is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of
the fluid it displaces.
• Fluid flow can be laminar or turbulent.
• The product of the cross-sectional area and the
speed is constant for horizontal flow.
 Summary of Chapter 13
• Where the velocity of a fluid is high, the
pressure is low, and vice versa.
• Viscosity is an internal frictional force within
fluids.