FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in CE 315 – Fluid Mechanics Module No. 3

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 3

PRINCIPLES OF HYDROSTATICS

MODULE OVERVIEW

Welcome to CE 315 – Mechanics of Fluids.

This Study Guide will provide some preliminary information to help you get started. Please read
carefully to help prepare you to start off this course successfully.

This course deals with the study of fluid mechanics and establishes its relevance in civil engineering.
In this module, you will learn the fundamental principles of hydrostatic pressure and can carry out
calculations in determining forces acting on submerged structures under static fluids. This
understanding of pressure will then be used to demonstrate methods of pressure measurement that
will be useful later with fluid in motion and also to analyse the forces on submerges surface/structures.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module 3, you should be able to:

1. Identify the fundamental principles of fluid statics

2. Identify the concept of pressure
3. Prove it has a unique value at any particular elevation
4. Show how pressure varies with depth according to the hydrostatic equation

3.1 Principles of Hydrostatic Pressure

The general rules of statics (as applied in solid mechanics) apply to fluids at rest.
 a static fluid can have no shearing force acting on it, and that
 any force between the fluid and the boundary must be acting at right angles to the boundary

Unit Pressure or Pressure, P

Pressure is the force per unit area exerted by a liquid or gas on a body or surface, with the force
acting at right angles to the surface uniformly in all directions.

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Study Guide in CE 315 – Fluid Mechanics Module No. 3

The fluid is at rest, so we know there are no shearing forces, and we know that all force are acting at
right angles to the surfaces. And, as the fluid is at rest, in equilibrium, the sum of the forces in any
direction is zero.

Pascal’s law, developed by French mathematician Blaise Pascal, states that the pressure on a fluid
is equal in all directions and in all parts of the container.

In the English system, pressure is usually measured in pounds per square inch (psi) in international
usage, in kilograms per square centimeters (kg/cm 2), or in atmospheres; and in the international
metric system (SI), in Newtons per square meter (Pascal). The unit atmosphere (atm) is defined as a
pressure of 1.03323 kg/cm 2 (14.696 lb/in2), which, in terms of the conventional mercury barometer,
corresponds to 760 mm (29.921 in) of mercury. The unit kilopascal (kPa) is defined as a pressure of
0.0102 kg/cm2 (0.145 lb/sq. in).

Atmospheric, Gauge, and Absolute Pressures

Atmospheric pressure is the weight of all gasses above the surface in which it comes in contact.
Under normal conditions, atmospheric pressure at sea level is equal to 101.325 kPa (14.696 psi),
usually rounded off to 100 kPa (14.7 psi) by engineers. With increase in altitude, atmospheric
pressure decreases.

Gauge pressure, measured with the use of pressure gauges, is the pressure above or below
atmospheric pressure. Negative gauge pressure indicates a vacuum which cannot go below –
101.325 kPa. Positive gauge pressure indicates that the pressure is above atmospheric. Gauge
pressure is also called relative pressure.

Absolute pressure is equal to gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure. There is no such thing
as negative absolute pressure. In the absence of all matter (complete vacuum), the absolute
pressure is zero.

Pressure Gauges
Some general types of pressures instruments are as follows:
 Barometer - used to measure atmospheric pressure.
 Manometer - a U-tube that contains liquid of known specific gravity.
 Bourdon gauge - used to measure large pressure difference.

Steps in Solving Manometer Problems

Ordinarily, it is easier to work in units of pressure head rather than pressure for solving any
manometer problem.
1. Draw a sketch of the manometer approximately to scale.
2. Decide on the fluid of which head are to be expressed. Water is more desirable. In most
cases, we suggest to use head in water even if there is no water in the system.
3. Starting at a point of know pressure head, number in order the levels of contact of fluids of
different specific gravities.

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Study Guide in CE 315 – Fluid Mechanics Module No. 3

4. Proceed from level to level, add pressure head in going down and subtract pressure head in
going up with due regard to the specific gravity of the fluids.
Pressure Head – is the height “h” of a column homogeneous liquid of unit weight γ that will produce
an intensity of pressure.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3-1

As you go through this module, practice solving the sample problems found in Gillesania (2003)
and write additional 5 sample problems on pp. 35-68 with solution in your notebook.

Answer also the following questions:

1. What is Pascal’s law in your own words?

2. Care must be taken when attaching the manometer to vessel, give the advantages and
disadvantages of using manometers.

(Your answer in this learning activity will be written in your notebook.)

Answer problem set No. 2 and this will be submitted on an announced date.

REFERENCE/S

Gillesania, Diego Inocencio T.

Fluid mechanics and hydraulics
c2003, Leyte

King, H. W., Wisler, C. O., and Woodburn, J. G.

Hydraulics
Fifth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc

LEARNING POINTS

Format of Assignment/Requirements:

I. COVER PAGE: (All must be centered)

a. Pangasinan State University
b. Urdaneta Campus
c. College of Engineering and Architecture
d. Civil Engineering Department
e. __ Sem AY 20__ - 20__

f. Subject Code and Subject Title

g. Assignment Title
h. Assignment Number/Plate Number/Activity Number

i. Submitted by: LAST NAME, GIVEN NAME, M.I.

YR. & SEC.

j. Submitted to: ENGR. LEIZEL M. LOCQUIAO

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Study Guide in CE 315 – Fluid Mechanics Module No. 3

II. CONTENTS:
a. Learning Activity 3-1

III. REFERENCES (if any)

Assignments, problem sets, and any other requirements should be submitted thru soft copy in pdf
format with digital signature. Soft copy should be sent via MS TEAMS or private message on
messenger. Files should be named as “FLUIDMECH-3A-PS1-LocquiaoLM” for problem set 1 and
“FLUIDMECH-3A-Q1-LocquiaoLM” for Quiz 1.

Prepared By:

LEIZEL M. LOCQUIAO, CE
Faculty, Civil Engineering Department

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 4