Mechanics is the field of science focused on the motion of material

bodies.

Mechanics involves force, energy, motion, deformation, and

material properties. When mechanics applies to material bodies
in the solid phase, the discipline is called solid mechanics. When
the material body is in the gas or liquid phase, the discipline is
called fluid mechanics.
In contrast to a solid, a fluid is a substance whose molecules move
freely past each other. More specifically, a fluid is a substance that
will continuously deform—that is, flow under the action of a shear
stress.
Alternatively, a solid will deform under the action of a shear stress
but will not flow like a fluid.
Both liquids and gases are classified as fluids.
Liquids and Gases
Liquids and gases differ because of forces between the molecules.
A liquid will take the shape of a container whereas a gas will
expand to fill a closed container. The behavior of the liquid is
produced by strong attractive force between the molecules. This
strong attractive force also explains why the density of a liquid is
much higher than the density of gas. A gas is a phase of material in
which molecules are widely spaced, molecules move about freely,
and forces between molecules are minuscule, except during
collisions. Alternatively, a liquid is a phase of material in which
molecules are closely spaced, molecules move about freely, and
there are strong attractive forces between molecules.
The Continuum Assumption

While a body of fluid is comprised of molecules, most

characteristics of fluids are due to average molecular
behavior. That is, a fluid often behaves as if it were comprised of
continuous matter that is infinitely divisible into smaller and
smaller parts. This idea is called the continuum assumption. When
the continuum assumption is valid, engineers can apply limit
concepts from differential calculus. Recall that a limit concept, for
example, involves letting a length, an area, or a volume approach
zero. Because of the continuum assumption, fluid parameters
such as density and velocity can be considered continuous
functions of position with a value at each point in space.
Dimensions
A dimension is a category that represents a physical quantity such
as mass, length, time, momentum, force, acceleration, and energy.
To simplify matters, engineers express dimensions using a limited
set that are called primary dimensions.
Units
While a dimension expresses a specific type of physical quantity, a
unit assigns a number so that the dimension can be measured.
For example, measurement of volume (a dimension) can be
expressed using units of liters.
Similarly, measurement of energy (a dimension) can be expressed
using units of joules. Most dimensions have multiple units that
are used for measurement. For example, the dimension of “force”
can be expressed using units of newtons, pounds-force, or dynes.
Unit Systems

In practice, there are several unit systems in use. The International

System of Units (abbreviated SI from theFrench “Le Systeme
International d'Unites”) is based on the meter, kilogram, and
second. Although the SI system is intended to serve as an
international standard, there are other systems in common use in
the United States. The U.S. Customary System (USCS), sometimes
called English Engineering System, uses the pound-mass (lbm) for
mass, the foot (ft) for length, the pound-force (lbf) for force, and
the second (s) for time. The British Gravitational (BG) System is
similar to the USCS system that the unit of mass is the slug.
Dimensionless Groups

Engineers often arrange variables so that primary dimensions

cancel out. For example, consider a pipe with an inside diameter D
and length L. These variables can be grouped to form a new
variable L/D, which is an example of a dimensionless group. A
dimensionless group is any arrangement of variables in which the
primary dimensions cancel. Another example of a dimensionless
group is the Mach number M, which relates fluid speed V to the
speed of sound c:
Dimensional Homogeneity

When the primary dimensions on each term of an equation are

the same, the equation is dimensionally homogeneous
The Grid Method

The grid method involves writing an equation, drawing a grid, and

carrying and canceling units. Regarding unit cancellations, the key
idea is the use of unity conversion ratios, in which unity (1.0)
appears on one side of the equation.
Engineering Analysis
In fluid mechanics, many problems are messy and open-ended.
Thus, this section presents a structured approach to problem
solving.
Engineering analysis is a process for idealizing or representing real-
world situations using mathematics and scientific principles and
then using calculations to extract useful information. For example,
engineering analysis is used to find the power required by a pump,
wind force acting on a building, and pipe diameter for a given
application. Engineering analysis involves subdividing or organizing
a problem into logical parts as described in Table 1.4. Notice that
the columns describe what to do, the rationale for this step, and
typical actions taken during this step.
STRUCTURED APPROACH FOR ENGINEERING
ANALYSIS
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