Fluid Mechanics - Interview Questions

What is fluid mechanics?

FAQ

Fluid mechanics is the study of behavior of fluids and the

forces that they produce. Fluids include liquids, gases, blood
and plasma. Fluid mechanics studies the behavior of fluids
that are at rest and well in motion.
Fluid mechanics is applied in a wide range of disciplines,
including civil engineering, mechanical engineering,
chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, aeronautics,
aerospace, geophysics, etc.

What are the basic properties of fluids?

FAQ

Following are the basic properties of fluids.

1. Density
2. Temperature
3. Pressure
4. Viscosity
5. Specific Volume
6. Specific Weight
7.Specific Gravity
8. Surface Tension
How are fluids classified?
FAQ

Fluids are classified as follows.

1. Ideal Fluid
2. Real Fluid
3. Newtonian Fluid
4. Non-Newtonian Fluid
5. Ideal Plastic Fluid

What is surface tension of fluids?

FAQ

Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces to shrink

to the minimum surface area possible. Due to surface
tension, liquid surfaces seem as a stretched elastic
membrane.
Because of surface tension, objects having higher density
than the liquid - such as coins, razor blades, some insects
etc. can stay on top of the liquid surface.

What is capillarity?
FAQ

Capillarity, or Capillary action, is the phenomenon in which a

liquid spontaneously either raises or falls in a narrow
passage like a tube with a small cross-sectional area.
Capillarity occurs due to the combination of surface tension
- which is caused by cohesion of liquid molecules, and
adhesive forces between the liquid and the container wall.
What is Newton's law of viscosity?
FAQ

Newtons law of viscosity states that the shear stress

between adjacent fluid layers is directly proportional to the
velocity gradients (Rate of shear strain) between the two
layers.
For a given temperature and pressure, the ratio of shear
stress to rate of shear strain is a constant - which is defined
as viscosity or coefficient of viscosity.

What is Compressibility and Bulk modulus (K)?

FAQ

Compressibility is a measure of the change in volume of a

fluid in response to a change in pressure. For a given mass
of fluid, an increase in pressure will cause a decrease in
volume of the fluid. Compressibility is defined as the ratio of
change in volume to the change in pressure.
Bulk modulus is the inverse of compressibility. Bulk modulus
is defined as the ratio of change in pressure to the change in
volume.

What is Pascal's law?

FAQ

Pascal's law states that in a fluid at rest in a closed

container, a pressure change in one part is transmitted
without loss to every portion of the fluid and to the walls of
the container.

What are Isothermal and Adiabatic processes?

FAQ

Isothermal process is a process in which a gas expands or

compresses at constant temperature.
Adiabatic process, also known as isentropic process, is a
process in which a gas expands or compresses with out
giving out or taking in heat energy.

What are the two methods of describing fluid motion?

FAQ

There are two methods of describing fluid motion -

Lagrangian and Eulerian.
In Lagrangian method, fluid particles are followed and
variations of physical quantities (pressure, temperature,
density, velocity etc.) are described round each fluid particle
along its trajectory.
In Eulerian method variations of physical quantities are
described at fixed locations as a function of time. Different
fluid particles pass the location at different times.

What are the different ways in which fluid flow is

classified?
FAQ

Fluid flow can be classified in six different ways based on

the variation of fluid properties such as density, velocity
etc..
1. Steady and Unsteady flow
2. Uniform and Non-uniform flow
3. Laminar and Turbulent flow
4. Compressible and Incompressible flow
5. Rotational and Irrotational flow
6. One, Two and Three dimensional flow

What is velocity potential function and stream function?

FAQ

Velocity potential function and stream function are scalar

functions that help determine if a fluid flow is rotational or
irrotational.
Velocity potential function is a scalar function of time and
space whose negative derivative in any direction gives the
velocity component in that direction.
Stream function is a scalar function of time and space
whose negative derivative in any direction gives the velocity
component at right angles to that direction.

What are the different type of forces that act on moving

fluids?
FAQ

Following are the different types of forces that act on

moving fluids.
Inertia force
Viscous force
Gravity force
Pressure force
Surface tension force
Elastic force

What are the five different dimensionless numbers?

FAQ

Dimensionless numbers in fluid mechanics are a set of

dimensionless quantities that have an important role in
analyzing the behavior of fluids. Following are some
important dimensionless numbers.
Reynolds number
Froude number
Weber number
Mach number
Euler's number

What is fluid dynamics? What are the laws that govern

the dynamics of fluid motion
FAQ

fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that

describes the fluids — liquids and gases. Fluid dynamics has
several sub-disciplines, including aerodynamics (the study of
air and other gases in motion) and hydrodynamics (the study
of liquids in motion).
Fluid dynamics is governed by the following conservation
laws.
Conservation of mass
Conservation of linear momentum
Conservation of energy

What is Euler's equations of motion?

FAQ

Euler's equations, named after Leonhard Euler, are a set of

equations governing adiabatic and Inviscid flow of fluids.
Euler's equations provide a relationship between velocity,
pressure, and density of a moving fluid - represent the
conservation of mass, momentum, and energy - and is based
on Newton's second law of motion.
Euler's equations assume that the fluid is non-viscous,
homogeneous and incompressible, and has a steady
continuous flow along the streamline.

What is Bernoulli's principle?

FAQ

Bernoulli's principle states that an increase in velocity of a

fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static
pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy.
Bernoulli's principle assumes that the flow is steady or
laminar, and the compressibility as well as viscosity of the
fluid is negligible.

What is Darcy's equation?

FAQ

Darcy's equation, named after Henry Darcy, describes the

flow of a fluid through a porous medium. Darcy's equation
relates the loss in pressure due to friction, to the average
velocity of the fluid flow.

What is Chezy's equation?

FAQ
Explain geometric similarity, kinematic similarity, and
dynamic similarity?
FAQ

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