FLUID MECHANICS

-It deals with the study of all fluids under static and
dynamic situations.
-It is a branch of continuous mechanics which deals with
a relationship between forces, motions, and statical
conditions in continuous material.

BRIEF HISTORY
-To further understand the fluid mechanics, it started with
the need to obtain water supply. For example, people
realized that wells have to be dug and crude pumping
devices need to be constructed. Later, a large population
created a need to solve waste (sewage) and some basic
understanding was created. At some point, people realized
that water can be used to move things and provide power.
When cities increased to a larger size, aqueducts were
constructed. These aqueducts reached their greatest size and
grandeur in those of the City of Rome and China. Yet,
almost all knowledge of the ancients can be summarized as
application of instincts, with the exception Archimedes (250
B.C.) on the principles of buoyancy. For example, larger
tunnels built for a larger water supply, etc. There were no
calculations even with the great need for water supply and
transportation. The first progress in fluid mechanics was
made by Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) who built the first
chambered canal lock near Milan.

KINDS OF FLUIDS
The fluid is mainly divided into two categories:
Liquids
Gases
The main difference between the liquids and gases state is
that gas will occupy the whole volume while liquids has an
almost fix volume.

PROPERTIES OF FLUIDS
• Density
• Specific Gravity
• Specific weight
• Specific volume
• Compressibility
• Viscosity
1.) DENSITY

 The principle of density was discovered by the Greek scientist

Archimedes, and it is easy to calculate if you know the formula and
understand its related units.
 is the ratio between mass and volume or mass per unit volume.

Formula: ρ = m / v

2.) SPECIFIC GRAVITY

 is the ratio of density of a substance to the density of reference

substance.

 it is dimensionless quantity
 reference fluid

• Liquids: water
• Gases: Air

For gases: 𝑆𝐺 𝐺𝐴𝑆 = 𝛾 𝑔𝑎𝑠/ 𝛾 𝑎𝑖𝑟 =𝛒 𝐠𝐚𝐬/𝛒𝐚𝐢𝐫

For liquids: 𝑆𝐺 𝐿𝐼𝑄𝑈𝐼𝐷 = 𝛾𝛾 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑/𝛾 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 =𝛒

𝐥𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐝/ 𝛒 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

3.) SPECIFIC WEIGHT(w)

Also known as weight density
 Technically defined as the ratio of weight of fluid to its
volume

w = W/V
W= 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑
V= 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑
we know that W=mass x acceleration due to gravity
W= mg
w = W/V=mg/V= ρg

4) SPECIFIC VOLUME (v)

It is a property of material, defined as the number of
cubic meters occupied by one kilogram of a particular
substance
Ratio of volume of material to its mass

v = V/M = 1/ρ
V=volume of fluid
M=mass of fluid
5) COMPRESSIBILITY
 A parameter describing the relationship between pressure and
change in volume for a fluid.
 A compressible fluid is one which changes its volume
appreciably under the application of pressure. Therefore,
 liquids are virtually incompressible whereas are easily
compressed.
 The compressibility of a fluid is expressed by the bulk
modulus of elasticity, which is the ratio of the change in unit
pressure to the corresponding volume change per unit volume.

6.) VISCOSITY
Viscosity is a measure of fluid’s resistance to flow. The viscosity
of a liquid is related to the ease with which the molecules can
move with respect to one another. Thus, the viscosity of a liquid
depends on the:
 Strength of attractive forces between molecules, which depend
on their composition, size, and shape.
 The kinetic energy of the molecules, which depend on the
temperature.
7.) FLUID PRESSURE
Buoyancy
THE BERNOULLI EQUATION

Bernoulli equation
➢ is concerned with the conservation of kinetic, potential,
and flow energies of a fluid stream and their conversion to
each other in regions of flow where net viscous forces are
negligible and where other restrictive conditions apply. The
energy equation is a statement of the conservation of energy
principle.
Derivation of the Bernoulli Equation
➢ the Bernoulli Equation is derived from the mechanical
energy equation
since the we are dealing with steady flow system with out
the effect of the mechanical work and the friction on the
system the first terms become zero.

This is the famous Bernoulli equation, which is commonly

used in fluid mechanics for steady, incompressible flow
along a streamline in inviscid regions of flow.
The Bernoulli equation can also be written between any two
points on the same streamline as
 Limitations on the Use of the
Bernoulli Equation
Steady flow
The first limitation on the Bernoulli equation is that it is
applicable to steady flow.
•Frictionless flow Every flow involves some friction, no
matter how small, and frictional effects may or may not be
negligible.
•No shaft work The Bernoulli equation was derived from a
force balance on a particle moving along a streamline.
•Incompressible flow One of the assumptions used in the
derivation of the Bernoulli equation is that = constant and
thus the flow is incompressible.
•No heat transfer The density of a gas is inversely
proportional to temperature, and thus the Bernoulli equation
should not be used for flow sections that involve significant
temperature change such as heating or cooling sections.
•Strictly speaking, the Bernoulli equation is applicable along
a streamline, and the value of the constant C, in general, is
different for different streamlines. But when a region of the
flow is irrotational, and thus there is no vorticity in the flow
field, the value of the constant C remains the same for all
streamlines, and, therefore, the Bernoulli equation becomes
applicable across streamlines as well.