PROPERTIES OF

FLUIDS
BES4L FLUID MECHANICS
MASS DENSITY, ρ
 NONHOMOGENOUS
A fluid wherein density varies spatially

HOMOGENOUS
Incompressible, implies constant density
 SPECIFIC GRAVITY, S
The ratio of the specific weight of a given fluid to the
specific weight of water at the standard reference
temperature 4°C
 IDEAL GAS LAW
relates important thermodynamic properties, and
is often used to calculate density.

pV = nRT
Second Form:
p = ρRT
PROPERTIES INVOLVING THERMAL ENERGY
SPECIFIC HEAT, c
The property that describes the capacity of a substance to store thermal
energy, it is the amount of thermal energy that must be transferred to a
unit mass of substance to raise its temperature by one degree.
Cv = Constant Volume
Cp = Constant Pressure
PROPERTIES INVOLVING THERMAL ENERGY
PROPERTIES INVOLVING THERMAL ENERGY

ENTHALPY, h
 is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to deformation
under shear stress.
Dynamic Viscosity
 TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCY
The viscosity of liquids decreases as the temperature increases,
whereas the viscosity of gases increases with increasing temperature
EXAMPLE
 BULK MODULUS OF ELASTICITY, Ev
is a property that relates changes in pressure to
changes in volume.
 is a material property whereby a liquid at a material
interface, usually liquid-gas, exerts a force per unit
length along the surface.

Surface tension for a water–air surface is 0.073 N/m at

room temperature.
 VAPOR PRESSURE
The pressure at which a liquid will vaporize, or boil,
at a given temperature.

For example, the vapor pressure of water at 50°F

(10°C) is 0.178 psia (approximately 1% of standard
atmospheric pressure). Therefore, if the pressure in
water at 50°F is reduced to 0.178 psia, the water
boils.
SEATWORK