FLUID MECHANICS 1

Fluid Statics
LU2
FLUID STATICS
PRESSURE
 OBJECTIVES
1. Define the relationship between absolute
pressure, gage pressure, and atmospheric pressure.
2. Describe the degree of variation of atmospheric
pressure near Earth’s surface.
3. Describe the properties of air at standard
atmospheric pressure.
4. Describe the properties of the atmosphere at
elevations from sea level to 30 000 m.
5. Define the relationship between a change in
elevation and the change in pressure in a fluid.
Pressure: A normal force exerted
by a fluid per unit area 70 kg
140 kg

Afeet=343 cm2

P = 20 kPa P = 40 kPa

P = (709.81/1000) kN / 0.0343 m2 = 20 kPa

Some
basic
pressure 4
gages.
Absolute pressure: The actual pressure at a given position. It is
measured relative to absolute vacuum (i.e., absolute zero
pressure).
Gage pressure: The difference between the absolute pressure
and the local atmospheric pressure. Most pressure-measuring
devices are calibrated to read zero in the atmosphere, and so
they indicate gage pressure.
Vacuum pressures: Pressures below atmospheric pressure.

#Throughout this
class, the pressure
P will denote
absolute pressure
unless specified
otherwise.
# If no value is
given for the
atmospheric
pressure, we will 5
use Patm=101 kPa
 REMEMBER
• A simple equation relates the two pressure-measuring
systems:

where
pabs = Absolute pressure
pgage = Gage pressure
patm = Atmospheric pressure
 REVIEW QUESTIONS
GIVEN PRESSURE Patm Express result as: Answer

583 kPa (abs) 103 kPa Gage pressure

101 kPa (abs) 104 kPa Gage pressure

284 kPa (gage) 100 kPa Absolute pressure

-29.6 kPa (gage) 101.3 kPa Absolute pressure

128 kPa (gage) 98.0 kPa Absolute pressure

Pressure at a Point

Pressure is the compressive force per unit area but it is not a vector. Pressure at any
point in a fluid is the same in all directions. Pressure has magnitude but not a specific
direction, and thus it is a scalar quantity.

10
 Relationship between Pressure and
Elevation
• The term elevation means the vertical distance from some
reference level to a point of interest and is called z.
• A change in elevation between two points is called h. Elevation
will always be measured positively in the upward direction.
• In other words, a higher point has a larger elevation than a
lower point.
• The change in pressure in a homogeneous liquid
at rest due to a change in elevation can be
calculated from

• OR

• In this course we assume that the pressure in a

gas is uniform unless otherwise specified.
• In this course we assume that the pressure in a
gas is uniform unless otherwise specified.
In a room filled with a gas, the variation Pressure in a liquid at rest
of pressure with height is negligible. increases linearly with
distance from the free
surface.

14
The pressure is the same at all points on a horizontal plane in a given fluid
regardless of geometry, provided that the points are interconnected by the
same fluid.

15
In stacked-up fluid layers, the
pressure change across a fluid layer
of density  and height h is gh.
 EXAMPLES B
1. Calculate the change in water pressure from the surface to a depth of 5
m.
2. Calculate the change in water pressure from the surface to a depth of
3.05 m.
3. Figure below shows a tank of oil with one side open to the atmosphere
and the other side sealed with air above the oil. The oil has a specific
gravity of 0.90. Calculate the gage pressure at points A, B, C, D, E, and F.
 PRESSURE MEASUREMENT DEVICES
The Barometer
• Atmospheric pressure is measured by a device called a barometer; thus,
the atmospheric pressure is often referred to as the barometric pressure.
• A frequently used pressure unit is the standard atmosphere, which is
defined as the pressure produced by a column of mercury 760 mm in height
at 0°C (Hg = 13,595 kg/m3) under standard gravitational acceleration
(g = 9.807 m/s2).

The length or the

cross-sectional area
of the tube has no
effect on the height
of the fluid column of
a barometer,
provided that the
tube diameter is
large enough to
avoid surface tension 19
(capillary) effects.
The basic barometer.
 Other Pressure Measurement Devices
• Bourdon tube: Consists of a hollow metal tube bent Various types of
like a hook whose end is closed and connected to a Bourdon tubes used to
dial indicator needle.
measure pressure.
• Pressure transducers: Use various techniques to
convert the pressure effect to an electrical effect
such as a change in voltage, resistance, or
capacitance.
• Pressure transducers are smaller and faster, and
they can be more sensitive, reliable, and precise
than their mechanical counterparts.
• Strain-gage pressure transducers: Work by having a
diaphragm deflect between two chambers open to
the pressure inputs.
• Piezoelectric transducers: Also called solid-state
pressure transducers, work on the principle that an
electric potential is generated in a crystalline
substance when it is subjected to mechanical
pressure.

21
 The Manometer
It is commonly used to measure small and moderate pressure
differences. A manometer contains one or more fluids such as
mercury, water, alcohol, or oil.

23
 The Manometer
It is commonly used to measure small and moderate pressure
differences. A manometer contains one or more fluids such as
mercury, water, alcohol, or oil.

The basic
manometer.

Manometer uses the relationship between

a change in pressure and a change in 24
elevation in a static fluid.
Manometer: Rules of thumb
1. If one end is open as shown in Figure,
the pressure is atmospheric pressure,
taken to be zero gage pressure.
2. When the movement from one point to
another is downward, the pressure
increases and the value of Δp is added.
Conversely, when the movement from
one point to the next is upward, the
pressure decreases and Δp is
subtracted.

25
Manometer: Rules of thumb
1. If one end is open as shown in
Figure, the pressure is
atmospheric pressure, taken to
be zero gage pressure.
2. When the movement from one
point to another is downward, the
pressure increases and the value
of Δp is added. Conversely, when
the movement from one point to
the next is upward, the pressure
decreases and Δp is
subtracted.

26
 The Manometer: various use

Measuring the
pressure drop across
a flow section or a flow
device by a differential
manometer.

In stacked-up fluid layers, the

pressure change across a fluid layer
of density  and height h is gh.

28
 EXAMPLES D
1. Calculate the gage pressure at point A.
2. Calculate the absolute
pressure at point P if the
specific gravity of the
manometer fluid is 0.85

3 Calculate the difference in pressure between

points A and B in the figure ( pB – pA.)