SOLID AND FLUID DBS10012- ENGINEERING SCIENCE

5.0 SOLID AND FLUID

By the end of this lesson, student should be able to:

1.describe the characteristic of solid and fluid.

2.define density, relative density, pressure and state their units.
3.apply the concept of density and pressure to solve problems.
4.explain Pascal’s Principle and Archimedes Principle.
5.apply Pascal’s Principle and Archimedes Principle to solve problems.

5.1 State Characteristics of solid , liquid and gas

SOLID LIQUID GAS

Microscopic
view

Particle Tightly packed, usually Close together with no Well separated with no
Arrangement in a regular pattern. regular arrangement. regular arrangement.
Shape Fixed shape Follow container Undefined Shape
Volume Fixed volume Fixed volume Undefined volume
Kinetic Energy
Low Average High
Content
Compressibility Hard to compress Compressible Easily to compress
Flow Ability Does not flow Flows easily Flows easily
Vibrate (jiggle) but Vibrate, move about,
Vibrate and move freely
Movement generally do not move and slide past each
at high speeds.
from place to place. other.

5.2 Define the Density and Pressure

DEFINITION
The density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume.

SYMBOL
• The symbol of density is ρ (rho).

DENSITY FORMULA
Where: m
• ρ (rho) is the density, 
V
• m is the mass in kg,
• V is the volume in m3.

SI UNIT

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For geometric shapes, volumes can be calculated:

1 4
V  r 2 h V  r 2 h V  r 3
3 3

 Different materials usually have different densities.

DEFINITION
Relative density is the ratio of the density (mass of a unit
volume) of a substance to the density of a given reference
material.

Specific gravity usually means relative density with

respect to water.

SYMBOL
Relative •The symbol of relative density is RD.
Density

FORMULA:

The density of material

RD 
The density of water

SI UNIT:
No Unit

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Example 1:

Calculate the density and relative density of wooden block which has dimensions 1𝑐𝑚 𝑥 2𝑐𝑚 𝑥 5𝑐𝑚
and a mass of 40𝑔.

Solution:

m

V


40 10 
3

110 2
2 10 5 10 
2 2

kg
 4000
m3

The density of material

RD 
The density of water
kg
4000 3
 m
kg
1000 3
m
4

Example 2:

A solid metal cylinder has radius 𝑟 = 0.50 cm and length 𝑙 = 5 𝑐𝑚. Its mass is 65 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚. Find the
density of the metal and its relative density.

Solution:

Volume  r 2l

  0.5  10 2  5 10 
2 2

 3.93  106 m 3

m

v
65  103

3.93  106
kg
 16539.4 3
m

density of material
Relative Density, RD 
density of water
16539.4

1000
 16.539

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Example 3:

kg
A cylinder has a mass of 80kg and its density is 12 . If the height of the cylinder is 250mm ,
m3
calculate the diameter of the cylinder.

Solution:

m

V
80
12 
V
80
V
12
 6.67m 3

103 m
h  250mm   0.25m
1mm

Vcylinder  r 2 h
 
6.67   r 2 0.25
6.67
r2 
 0.25
r  2.91m

Diameter of the cylinder  2r

 22.91
 5.83m

Example 4:

A body of mass 100g is inserted into a measuring cylinder containing water. The reading of water
level rising from 80ml to 88.8ml . Calculate the density of the body of the unit kgm3 .

Solution:

1kg
m  100g   0.1kg
103 g

Vbody  88.8ml  80ml  8.8ml  

 
3
1cm 3 102 m 3
 8.8  106 m 3
3
1ml 1cm

0.1

8.8  10 6
kg
 11363.64
m3

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Example 5:

A metal block has a 2500cm 3 volume and 7800kgm3 density at room temperature.
a) Find the mass of the metal block.
b) When it was heated metal block, the block volume increased by 100cm 3 . What is the new
density of the metal now?

Solution:

a)
m

V
m
7800 
 
2500 102
3

m  78002500 10  6

 19.5kg
b)
m

V
19.5


100  10 2 
3

 195  103 kgm3

Example 6:

2
A tank load is 200m 3 . The tank is filled of a liquid. The force in the tank base due to the liquid is
5
7.2  105 N . Calculate the density of the liquid.

Solution:
2
V   200
5
 80m 3

F  ma
7.2  105  m9.81
7.2  105
m
9.81
 73394.50kg

m

V
73394.50

80
 917.43kgm3

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DEFINITION:
The pressure, P, is defined as the ratio of force to area.

SYMBOL:
•The symbol of Pressure is P.

FORMULA:
Where:
F
PRESSURE •P is the Pressure, P
A
•F is the Force in newton,
•A is the Area im m2.

Pasc al Pa 
N
SI UNIT:
or
m2
Application of pressure: cutting tools, injection needle and tip of
thumbtack.

Example 7:

A hammer supplies a force of 700 𝑁. The hammer head has an area of 7.1 𝑥 10−4 𝑚2 . What is the
pressure?

Solution:
F
P
A
700

7.1  10  4
N
 9.86  105 or 9.86  105 Pa
m2

Example 8:

A metal cube of mass 40kg and surface area of 0.08m2 is placed on a floor. Determine the pressure
exerted on the floor.

Solution:
F
P
A
ma

A

409.81
0.08
N
 4905 2 or 4905Pa
m

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Example 9:

The figure below shows the thumb exerts a force 20N normally on a thumbtack.
a) If the rounded end of the thumbtack has an area of 1.0cm 2 , what is the pressure acting on the
nail?
b) If the pressure acting on the board is 1.0  108 Nm 2 , what is the area of the sharp end of the
nail?

Thumbtack

Board
Solution:
a)
F
P
A
20


1.0  10 2 
2

N
 2  105 2 or 2  105 Pa
m

b)
F
P
A
20
1.0  108 
A
20
A
1.0  108
 2  10-7 m 2

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5.3 Variation Of Pressure With Depth

Relating Pressure (𝑷) in a liquid to the Depth (𝒉) and Density (𝝆) of the liquid:

Consider a cylindrical container oh height, ℎ and cross-sectional area, 𝐴 which is filled with a liquid
of density 𝜌.

Density of  
h liquid

X
Area  A

Volume of liquid in the container : V  Ah

Mass of liquid in the container : m  V  Ah

Force on point X :
F  weight of the liquid
 mg
 Ahg

Pressure on point X :
F
P
A

 Ahg 
A
 hg

Therefore :

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Example 10:

What will be the the gauge pressure and the absolute pressure of water at depth 12𝑚 below the
surface? (Given that: 𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 , and 𝜌𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 = 101𝑘𝑁/𝑚2).

Solution:

Pgauge   water gh
 1000  9.81 12
N
 117720 2
m
kN
 117.72 2
m

Absolute Pr essure  Pgauge  Patmosphere

 117.72  101
kN
 218.72 2
m

Example 11:

A swimmer diving into a pool and then dive to a depth of 5m . If the swimmer body surface area is
6m 2 , calculate:
a) the amount of pressure experienced by swimmers. (use atmospheric pressure 1.0  10 Pa )
5

b) the forces acting on the swimmer.

Solution:

Pgauge   water gh a)
 1000 9.81 5
N
 49050 2
m

Absolute Pr essure  Pgauge  Patmosphere

 49050  1.0  105
N
 149050 2
m
b)
F
P
A
F
149050 
6
F  1490506 
 894300N

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Example 12:

A water tank with a dam built deepening as shown in the figure below.
a) Explain why the design of the dam as it is selected.
b) If the height of water level from the base of the tank is 20m , how much water pressure at the
base of the tank? (The density of water,   1.0  103 Kgm 3 )
c) What is the force acting on an area of 2.0m 2 at the base of the tank?
(Atmospheric Pressure, P  1.0  105 Nm 2 ).

Dam

20m

Solution:

a) The water pressure increases with depth, the force acting on the dam is larger at the
bottom. dam was built so that its bottom is wider and stronger to withstand greater
force.

b)
P  gh
 10009.8120
 196200Nm 2

c)
F
Pdasar tangki  PAtmosfera 
A
F
196200  1  105 
2

F  2 196200  1  105 
 592400N

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Example 13:

A block sunk to a depth of 600cm in the density 800kgm3 of liquid. What is the depth of the solid in
other liquid with density of 400kgm3 so that the pressure acting on it is remaining same?

Solution:

P  gh

 8009.81 600  102 
 47088Nm 2

P  gh
47088  4009.81h 
47088
h
4009.81
 12m

Example 14:

Diagram below shows a block placed on the table. If the mass of the block is 1.5  102 kg .
a) Find the density of the block.
b) Will the block sink in the water?
c) Find the maximum pressure that can be exerted by the block on the table.

30mm

15mm
25mm
Table

Solution:

a)
m

V
1.5  102

0.0250.0150.030
1.5  102

1.125  105
 1333.33kgm3

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b) Yes, the block will sink because the density of the block ( 1333.33kgm3 ) is greater
than the water ( 1000kgm3 ).

c)
Note : The smaller area produce the maximum pressure on the table.

F
P
A
ma

A


 
1.5  102 9.81
0.025 0.015
0.14715

3.75  104
 392.40 Nm 2

5.4 Pascal’s Principle

Pascal’s principle states that pressure exerted on an enclosed fluid (liquid) is transmitted equally
to every part of the fluid (liquid).

Hydraulic systems can be used to obtain a large force by the application of a much smaller force.

We can turn this phenomenon to our advantage if we alter the areas exposed to equal pressures, as
in an hydraulic lift:

Since the pressure must be the same everywhere:

𝑃𝑎𝑡 1 = 𝑃𝑎𝑡 2
Pressure is;
F
P
A

So;
Pat 1  Pat 2
F1 F2

A1 A2

F2 
F1 A2 
A1

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This says that the Force at the outlet (at 2) is augmented by the size of the area of the outlet. So if
we make the area 1000 times larger, we can lift 1000 times the force we apply at F1.

By applying Pascal’s principle on a simple hydraulic system,

Where:

F1 = force at 1
F2 = force at 2
A1 = cross sectional Area at 1
A2 = cross sectional Area at 2
x1 = distance moved at 1
x2= distance moved at 2

Applications of Pascal’s principle include the hydraulic jack, hydraulic lift and hydraulic brakes.

Example of Applications of Pascal’s Principle (Hydraulic Lift).

Example 15:

A hydraulic car lift has a pump piston with radius 𝑟𝐴 = 0.0120 𝑚. The resultant piston has a radius
of 𝑟𝐵 = 0.150 𝑚. The total weight of the car and plunger is 𝐹𝐵 = 20500 𝑁. If the bottom ends of the
piston and plunger are at the same height, what input force is required to stabilize the car and output
plunger?

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Solution:

We need to use the area for circular objects, 𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 2 for both the piston and plunger. Apply
Pascal's Principle:

A 
FA  FB  A 
 AB 
  rA 2 
 FB  2 

 
 B r 
 0.01202 
 20500 
2 
 0 . 150 
 131.20 N

Example 16:

Figure shows a hidraulic lift with a force F1 acting on a circular piston with an area of 0.02m 2 . The
pressure generated is transmitted through a liquid to a second piston with area of 0.12m 2 . Calculate
the minimun force F1 which need to be applied so that a load of 5000N is lifted.

F1

Solution:

F1 F2

A1 A2
A 
F1  F2  1 
 A2 
 0.02 
 5000 
 0.12 
 833.33N

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5.5 Archimedes' Principle

Archimedes’ principle states that an object which is partially or wholly immersed in a fluid
(liquid or gas) is acted upon by an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it
displaces.

An object weighs less in water than it does in the air.

This loss of weight is due to the upthrust of the water acting upon it and is equal to the weight of
the liquid displaced.

Archimedes Principle:
The buoyant force is equal to the
weight of the displaced water.

If the weight of the water displaced is less than the weight of the object, the object will sink.

Otherwise the object will float, with the weight of the water displaced equal to the weight of the
object.

Floatation:

The principle of floatation states that a floating body displaces its own weight of the liquid in which
it floats.

According to Archimedes’ Principle:

Buoyant force = Weight of liquid displaced

Therefore;
Buoyant force = Weight of liquid displaced
F  mg
 Vg

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Figure below show four situations of object in a liquid:

Weight of object  Buoyant force

Wo  F

However;
Buoyant force
Buoyant force  Weight of liquid displaced
Situation 1

Rising
Wo  Wl
Weight mo g  ml g
 oVo g   lVl g
>
 oVo   lVl

For totally submerged object;

Vo  Vl
Weight of object  Buoyant force
Wo  F

However;

Buoyant force  Weight of liquid displaced

Buoyant force
Situation 2

Wo  Wl
Rising
mo g  ml g
Weight oVo g  lVl g
oVo  lVl
<
For totally submerged object;

Vo  Vl

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Weight of object  Buoyant force

Wo  F

Buoyant force
However;
Floating
Buoyant force  Weight of liquid displaced
Situation 3

Weight
Wo  Wl
mo g  ml g
oVo g  lVl g
oVo  lVl
=
For totally submerged object;

Vo  Vl
Weight of object  Buoyant force
Wo  F

Buoyant force However;

Floating
Buoyant force  Weight of liquid displaced
Situation 4

Weight
Wo  Wl
mo g  ml g
oVo g  lVl g
oVo  lVl
=
For totally submerged object;

Vo  Vl
NOTE : o  object, l  liquid displaced

Archimedes' Principle explains why steel ships float.

Sink • Displaced water weight < ball weight

Float • Displaced water weight = hull weight

Applications of Archimedes’ principle can be found in ships, submarines, hot-air balloons and the
hydrometer.

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Object

Liquid

Buoyant Force

The buoyant force acting on the object will decrease when the weight of the object decrease.

Example 17:

A concrete slab weight is 150𝑁, when it is fully submerged under the sea, its apparent weight is 102𝑁.
Calculate the density of the sea water if the volume of the sea water displaced by the concrete slab is
4800 𝑐𝑚3.

Solution:

Buoyant force  Actual weight  Apprent we ight

 150  102
 48N

According to Archimedes’ Principle:

Buoyant force  weight of sea water displaced

FB  mg
 Vg
 
48    4800106 9.81
48

 
4800106 9.81
kg
 1019 3
m

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Example 18:

Figure below shows a boat loaded with some goods floating on the sea. The density of the sea is
1020𝑘𝑔𝑚−3.

a) Calculate the weight of the boat.

b) Figure below shows the situation of maximum loading of the boat.

Calculate the additional weight of goods that has to be added to the boat to reach this situation.

Solution:

a)
Weight of the boat  Weight of sea water
 Vg
 1020 1.5  9.81
 15009.3N

b) For maximum loading;

Weight of boat  Additional weight  Weight of sea water displaced

 Vg
 1020 4.5  9.81
 45027.9 N
Therefore;
Additional weight of goods to be added  45027.9  15009.3
 30018.6 N

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Example 19:

An ice cube which measures 350cm  350cm  350cm is floating on the water surface.
g
a) Calculate the mass of the ice cube if the given density of the ice cube is 0.917 .
cm 3
b) Calculate the mass of the water displaced by the ice cube.
c) Calculate the buoyant force exerted.

Solution:

a)
Vice  3.5  3.5  3.5
 42.875m 3

g 1kg 1cm 3 kg
 ice  0.917    917 3
3 3
cm 10 g 102 m  
3
m

mice
 ice 
Vice
mice
917 
42.875
mice  91742.875
 39316.375kg

b)
Wwater displaced  Wice
Fb  Wice
 water displaced  V water displaced  g  mice  g
1000 V water displaced  9.81  39316.375 9.81
39316.375 9.81
V water displaced 
1000 9.81
39316.375

1000
 39.316m 3

c)
Fb  Wwater displaced
  water  Vwater displaced  g
 100039.3169.81
 385689.96 N

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Tutorial 5a (Density and Pressure)

1. An object has a mass of 750𝑔 and a volume of 500𝑐𝑚3 . What is the density of the object?
2. A substance having a density of 5600𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 . What is the volume of the substance if the mass is
1.68𝑘𝑔?
3. A room with a dimension of 6𝑚 × 5𝑚 × 2.5𝑚 is filled with 1.3𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 of air. What is the mass
of the air?
4. A measuring cylinder is filled up with a 200𝑚𝑙 liquid having a mass of 160𝑔. What is the density
of the liquid?
5. A liquid having a density of 1200𝑘𝑔𝑚−3. If 1cm3 of the liquid turn into 600𝑐𝑚3 vapors, find the
density of the vapor.
6. Liquid 𝑋 and 𝑌 having a density of 900𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 and 800𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 respectively. Without any changes
of volume, a 2𝑚3 liquid 𝑋 is added to 3𝑚3 liquid 𝑌. Calculate the additional density of the liquid.
7. A 100 𝑃𝑎 pressure is exerted on the 0.2𝑚2 floor. Calculate the force acting on the floor.
8. A wood block with a dimension of 0.4𝑚 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 × 0.1𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ × 0.2𝑚 height having a mass of
640𝑔. Determine the pressure exerted by the wood block.
9. A blade with a dimension of 0.02𝑚𝑚 × 30𝑐𝑚 having a force of 50𝑁 to cut a meat. What is the
pressure exerted by the blade?
10. A tank with a dimension of 4𝑚 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 × 3𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ × 2𝑚 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 is filled with paraffin.
(𝜌 = 800𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 , 𝑔 = 9.81𝑁𝑘𝑔−1)
Calculate :
a) The pressure exerted on the base of the tank
b) The force that acted on the base of the tank
11. A density of seawater is 1030𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 . What is the pressure exerted by the seawater at a vertical
depth of 30𝑚. ( Given: 𝑔 = 9.81𝑁𝑘𝑔−1)

Tutorial 5b (Pascal’ Principle)

1. Figure shows a simple hydraulic system. Piston A & B has a cross sectional area of
2 × 10−4 𝑚2 and 50 × 10−4 𝑚2 respectively.

a) What is the pressure at piston A, when 4𝑘𝑔 load is placed on it?

b) What is the pressure at piston B.
c) If load W placed at piston B, determine the load W that can be pushed by piston B.
2. Figure shows a pipe system that is filled with oil. If the piston A is pushed with 100𝑁 force:
(a) What is the pressure exerted by the oil?
(b) What is the force acted on piston B?

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SOLID AND FLUID DBS10012- ENGINEERING SCIENCE

3. Figure shows a simple hydraulic system.

Cross sectional area of 𝐴, 𝐴𝐴 = 0.08 𝑚2 and Cross sectional area of 𝐵, 𝐴𝐵 = 1.2 𝑚2

a) What is the pressure at piston 𝐵, if 40𝑁 force acting on a piston 𝐴?

b) If load 𝑄 placed at piston 𝐵, determine the load 𝑄 that can be pushed by piston 𝐵.
c) If the distance moved by the piston A is 1.5m, what is the distance moved by piston B?
d) If load 𝑄 is being replaced with 210kg load, what is the force acted on piston 𝐴 in order to
support the load at piston 𝐵?

Tutorial 5c (Archimedes’ Principle)

1. An empty boat having a weight of 2000𝑁 is floating statically.

(𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 1000𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 , 𝑔 = 9.81𝑁𝑘𝑔−1 )
a) What is the buoyant force?
b) What is the volume of the displaced water?
2. A cube of metal having a volume of 800𝑐𝑚3 is completely submerged in ….
a) water (𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 1000𝑘𝑔𝑚−3)
b) oil (𝜌 𝑜𝑖𝑙 = 800𝑘𝑔𝑚−3)
c) Oxygen (𝜌𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 = 15𝑘𝑔𝑚−3)
According to the following, what is the buoyant force?
3. A metal block having a weight of 1𝑁 is completely being submerged in to the water. The weight
of the block when it completely submerged is 0.8𝑁. (𝜌𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 1000𝑘𝑔𝑚−3 ).
a) What is the volume of the block
b) What is the density of the block
4. Figure (a) shows an object is weighed in air and found to have a weight of 2.0N. While Figure (b)
shows the object is completely submerged into the water. (𝑔 = 9.81𝑁𝑘𝑔−1 )
a) What is the mass of the object?
b) What is the buoyant force?
c) What is the mass of the displaced water?
d) What is the volume of the water?

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SOLID AND FLUID DBS10012- ENGINEERING SCIENCE

Answer 5a:
kg kg kg kg
1) 1500 3 2) 0.0003m 3 3) 97.5kg 4) 800 5) 2 6) 840 7) 20N
m m3 m3 m3
N
8) 784.8 2 9) 8.3  106 Pa 10a) 15696Pa 10b) 188352N 11) 303129Pa
m

Answer 5b:
N N
1a) 196200 2
1b) 196200 2 1c) 981kg 2a) 66.67kPa 2b) 13.33N
m m
3a) 500Pa 3b) 600N 3c) 0.1m 3d) 137.74N

Answer 5c:
1a) 2000N 1b) 0.2039m3 2a) 7.848N 2b) 6.2784N 2c) 0.12N
kg
3a) 2.0387105 m3 3b) 5000 3 4a) 0.2kg 4b) 0.2 N 4c) 0.2kg 4d) 2.0387105 m3
m

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COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME (CLO)
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

CLO1 : Use basic physics concept to solve engineering physics problems ( C3, CLS 1 )
CLO2 : Apply knowledge of fundamental physics in activities to mastery physics concept
( C3, CLS 1 )
CLO3 : Perform appropriate activities related to physics concept ( P3, CLS 3a )
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