CHAPTER 2

HYDROSTATICS

2.1 INTRODUCTION
Hydraulic engineers have many engineering applications in which they have to compute the
force being exerted on submerged surfaces. The hydrostatic force on any submerged plane
surface is equal to the product of the surface area and the pressure acting at the centroid of the
plane surface. The paradox of the hydrostatics indicates that the pressure exerted by a fluid is
dependent only on the vertical head of fluid and its specific weight; it is not affected by the
weight of the fluid present.

2.2 HYDROSTATIC BALANCE

Hydrostatic equilibrium occurs when compression due to gravity is balanced by a pressure
gradient which creates a pressure gradient force in the opposite direction. The balance of these
two forces is known as the hydrostatic balance. For a volume of a fluid which is not in motion or
is in a state of constant motion, Newton's Laws state that it must have zero net force on it - the
forces up must equal the forces down. This force balance is called the hydrostatic balance.

Question 2-1
U-tube is filled with water at one side and oil at the other. The column of oil is 0.78m high. The
oil level lies 0.18m higher that the water level. What is the specific weight of the oil?

Solution 2-1
Equipotential surfaces are perpendicular to the direction of the resulting mass force. To consider
this, we have to prove Euler’s Condition of Equilibrum. The cube dx.dy.dz of the fluid sample at
rest must have the mass forces and the pressure on the surface in equilibrium.

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Let us consider a mass in a static water whose volume is:
volume  1.1.dz
and the depth of water is
hz y (1)
the forces acting on the mass are weight and pressure forces as shown in the above figure. The
equilibrium conditions can be achieved when all the forces acting on z direction are sum up to
zero.
 F   p  dp  z   ( p)  0 (2)
solving the above equation results in
 dp    z
p  z  const (3)
considering the boundary conditions such that at z=h the pressure in the system is atmospheric
pressure, p=po. Then,
po  H  const
const  po  H (4)
therefore the Equation (3) can be written as
p  z  po  H (5)
p  po   ( H  z )
in which,
(H  z)  y
thus,
p  po  y (6)
as a result pressure increase with depth and all the points in the same pressure and the same
depth under the fluid surface have the same pressure and therefore form an equipotential surface.
Because of equilibrium an equipotential surface on both sides of the u-tube will be equal to each
other,
p  po   w y w  po   o yo
where,
 w  1t / m3 , yw  0.6m, yo  0.78m
 w y w   o yo
10.6   o 0.78
 o  0.77t / m3

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Question 2-2
Mercury manometer shows h=5.6m for a certain water level in an attached tank. How does h
change, if the water level raises 1.50m.

Solution 2-2
Same principle of equipotential surface of previous example can also be used for this example.
Before the rising up of the water level within the system the pressure distribution on EPS1 can be
given as,
po   w y w  po   mercury ymercury
where,
 w  1t / m 3 , yw  0.056m, ymercury  H ,  mercury  13.6t / m 3
 w yw   mercury ymercury
10.056  13.6H 
H  0.0041m

If extra water is injected into the tank, than the level of the mercury should increase further in
order to balance the pressure.

Than, the pressure distribution on EPS2 can be written as,

po   mercury  X  0.056  X   po   mercury  X    w 1.5  H 

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 po   mercury  X    mercury  X  0.056   po   mercury  X    w 1.5  H 
 mercury  X  0.056   w 1.5  H 
where,
 w  1t / m3 , H  0.0041,  mercury  13.6t / m3
13.6 X  0.056  11.5  0.0041
X  0.054m  5.4cm
therefore the mercury will rise 5.4cm after 1.5 meters of water supply to the tank.

Question 2-3
How does the form of the piston surface influence the piston force in the figure below?

Solution 2-3
The projection of the piston surfaces on the horizontal planes is equal. Assuming that the
geometrical shapes are cylindrical, the projection area for all the figures is equal to
D 2
A
4
Therefore, the surface form of the pistons does not influence the piston force if the magnitude of
forces F1, F2 and F3 are same.
F F F
P 1  2  3 (7)
A A A
Question 2-4
Answer briefly the following question:
a) Given a gage pressure P=0.78kg/cm2, convert this pressure in terms of t/m2, kg/m2
and m of water column, m of Hg column.
b) Find the intensity of pressure at the bottom of a lake 300m below the water surface in
terms of kg/cm2, m of water column and m of mercury column.

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Solution 2-4
a) It is always advised to solve unit conversion by the help of unit dimensions. This will help to
minimize the error risk.
kg  100cm  100cm  1t  0.78  100  100
P  0.78 2      7.8 t m 2
cm  1m  1m  1000kg  1000
kg  100cm  100cm 
P  0.78     0.78  100  100  7800 kg m
2

cm 2  1m  1m 
kg  100cm  100cm 
P  0.78 2     0.78  100  100  7800 kg m
2

cm  1m  1m 

The specific weight of water is 1ton/m3. Therefore within a 1m of water column the pressure is
1ton/m2.
 
P   w y w  1ton / m 3 1m   1ton / m 2
the question is to find how many 1ton/m2 is available in 7.8ton/m2 gage pressure.
7.8
P  7.8m of water column.
1
The specific weight of mercury is 13.6ton/m3. Therefore within a 1m of mercury column the
pressure is 13.6ton/m2.
P   mercury ymercury  13.6ton / m 3 1m   13.6ton / m 2
the question is to find how many 13.6ton/m2 is available in 7.8ton/m2 gage pressure.
7.8
P  0.57 m of mercury column.
13.6

b) The air pressure on water is 10.33t/m2. Therefore at the bottom of the lake the total pressure is
the pressure due to air and due to the water column.
p  po   w y w
where,
 w  1t / m3 , yw  300m, po  10.33t / m3
p  10.33  1300 
p  310.33 t m 2
t  1m  1m  1000kg  310.33  1000
p  310.33 2      31.03 kg cm 2
m  100cm  100cm  1t  100  100  1
310.33
p  310.33m of water column.
1
310.33
p  22.81m of mercury column.
13.6
Question 2-5
A manometer tube attached to a boiler shows y1= 0.2m (Hg), y2=0.4m (Hg) and y3=1.8m (water
and mercury). Compute the boiler pressure.

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Solution 2-5
Equipotential surfaces are perpendicular to the direction of the resulting mass force, and if only
gravitation acts,equipotential surfaces are horizontal. As derived before, along an equipotential
line,
p  po  y
In this problem pressure exerted by the boiler and the height of the fluid above the equipotential
line will be considered since it is a manometer. Therefore, as a general equation, we can write:
p   m y1  po   m y2   w  y1  y2 
where,
 w  1t / m3 ,  m  13.6t / m3
p  13.6 0.2   10.33  13.6 0.4   11.8  0.4 
p  14.45 t m 2

Question 2-6
A manometer tube attached to a pipe has two connection points. One of the tubes is
perpendicular to the pipe whereas the second one is inclined at 30o. Calculate the pressure at
point 1.

Solution 2-6
As derived before, along an equipotential line, the pressures are always same. In other words
weather the manometer tube is vertical or inclined the vertical height of the liquid within the
manometer tube is taken into consideration for pressure calculations. As a result, the pressure p1
can be written as
p1  po  y (8)
in which for both of the manometer tubes the water depth is equivalent to 165mm. Therefore, In
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this problem pressure exerted by the boiler and the height of the fluid above the equipotential
line will be considered since it is a manometer. Therefore, as a general equation, we can write:
p1  10.33  10.330 sin 30 
p1  10.495 t m 2

Question 2-7
Identify the following manometer, what kind of manometer is it? Caculate the pressure
difference within the points 1 and 2 in the following pipe system.

Solution 2-7
Pressure measuring devices using liquid columns in vertical or inclined tubes are called
manometers. One of the most common is the water or mercury filled u-tube manometer used to
measure pressure difference in pipe systems. The manometer given in the question is a typical u-
tube manometer. In general in order to calculate the pressure in manometer a reference line is
drawn through the lower separation point. All heights above the reference line are accepted as
positive and all the heights below reference line are taken as negative. These manometers are
used to measure pressure differential in manometers. There are also inverted u-tube differential
manometers used to measure pressures. In these manometers the reference line is drawn through
the upper separation point. All heads below the reference line are accepted as negative in
inverted u-tubes. Since the manometer given in question is u-tube differential manometer, the
reference line is drawn through the lower separation point, at X-X.

Pressure on the left side, starting from the reference line can be written as:
pLHS   m ym   w y w  p1
where,

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 y w  1.949m,  w  1t / m 3 , ym  0.218m,  mercury  13.6t / m 3
pLHS  13.6  0.218  1 1.949  p1
pLHS  4.91  p1

Pressure on the right hand side, starting from the reference line can be written as:
pRHS   w yw  p2
where,
yw  1.949  0.218  0.343m,  w  1t / m3
pRHS  1  1.824  p2
pRHS  1.824  p2
According to the working principles of manometers, the pressure at right hand side must be
equal to the pressure at left hand side.
pLHS  pRHS
4.91  p1  1.824  p2
p1  p2  1.824  4.91
p1  p 2  p  3.086 t m 2

Question 2-8
Identify the following manometer, what kind of manometer is it? Calculate the pressure
difference within the points 1 and 2 in the following pipe system.

Solution 2-8
The manometer used in this question is inverted u-tube differential manometer used to measure
pressure difference. In these manometers the reference line is drawn through the upper separation
point. All heads below the reference line are accepted as negative in inverted u-tubes. Since the
manometer given in question is inverted u-tube differential manometer, the reference line is
drawn through the upper separation point, at X-X.

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Pressure on the left side, starting from the reference line can be written as:
pLHS  ( oil yoil )  ( w yw )  p1
where, the depth of oil at the left hand side is the difference between the reference line X-X and
the depth of water.
yoil  0.43  0.28  0.15m
and
yw  0.28m,  w  1t / m3 ,  oil  0.85t / m3
pLHS  0.85  0.15  1 0.28  p1
pLHS  0.407  p1

Pressure on the right hand side, starting from the reference line can be written as:
pRHS   w yw   p2
where,
yw  0.43m,  w  1t / m3
pRHS  1 0.43  p2
pRHS  0.43  p2
According to the working principles of manometers, the pressure at right hand side must be
equal to the pressure at left hand side.
pLHS  pRHS
 0.407  p1  0.43  p2
p1  p2  0.43  0.407
p1  p2  p  0.023 t m 2

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