1/20/2020

Fluid Statics
Prepared by
Mohammad Zunaied-Bin-Harun
Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (IUT)

Fluid Statics/ Hydrostatics:

• Fluid statics also known as hydrostatics considers the situations of fluid when it is
at rest.
• The main focus is given to the pressure generated by the fluid at rest.
• There will be no shear stresses on any particle hence only normal pressure forces
are dominant.
• If F represents the total force on a finite area A, while dF represents the force on
an infinitesimal area dA the average pressure or the intensity of pressure is
p = dF/dA
For uniformly distributed pressure p = F/A

[ SI unit N/m2 (Pascal) or kN/m2 (kPa) ]

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Pascal’s law for pressure at a point

 Pascal’s low States that the pressure at a point in a fluid at rest has the same
magnitude in all direction.
 This law is applied in the construction of machines used for large forces. For
example

• Hydraulic press
• Hydraulic jack
• Hydraulic crane
• Hydraulic riveter

*** Pascal's law is also used in water distribution systems and sewage systems to
move water throughout a network of pipelines.

Figure-1: Triangle Prism

 Considering a equilibrium of a small fluid element in the form of a triangle in prism surrounding
a point in the fluid shown in the above figure-1. The pressure intensity on the plane ABFE, CDEF
and ABCD respectively is px, py and ps.

According to Pascal’s low ps=py=px.

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Variation of pressure in a fluid under gravity

• For incompressible fluids at rest pressure varies linearly
with depth.
• For figure-2 which demonstrates a vertical fluid column
of constant cross sectional area A which is surrounded
by the same fluid the hydrostatic equation is
p1 = p2 + ρgh…....................... (1)
• The pressure has to increase with the increase of depth
of fluid column to keep the equilibrium condition.
• It can also be observed fro equa. (1) pressure difference
between two points can also be specified by the depth
‘h’
h = (p1-p2)/ρg = (p1-p2)/ϒ………………..(2)

 In this case ‘h’ is called the pressure head and is

interpreted as the height of column of fluid of specific
unit weight ϒ required to give a pressure difference
( p1-p2 ). Figure-2: Fluid Column

Problem

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Absolute and Gauge pressure

• Pressure can be expressed in two different systems. They are
1. Absolute Pressure
2. Gauge Pressure
Absolute pressure: A pressure measured with the absolute zero as a datu is called
absolute pressure. Absolute pressure has always positive values.
pabs = patm + pgauge

Gauge pressure: The pressure measured relative to local atmospheric pressure is

known as the gauge pressure. When the pressure is sub atmospheric or less than
atmospheric the pressure gauge reads less then zero. Therefore, sub atmospheric
pressure is referred to as negative gauge pressure or vacuum or sucking pressure .

Absolute and Gauge pressure

Figure-3: Relationship between the pressures.

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Hydrostatic pressure on submersed plane surface

The magnitude of the resultant force (FR) is
dependent on
• Specific weight of fluid (ϒ)
• Total area of the plane (A)
• Depth of centroid of the submerged plane fro the
air water interface (hc)

FR= ϒ A hc
If the plane makes an angle ϴ with the surface

hc = yc sin ϴ

• Location of the resultant force is

yR = (Ixc/ycA) + yc

yc = Distance of centroid of area from X-axis

Ixc= Moment of inertia of the area along X- axis
Figure-4 Submersed plane

Problem

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Hydrostatic forces on submersed curved surface

• The forces acting on the element of the plane will not be
parallel.
• It is convenient to calculate the component of resultant
forces.
• Considering the element ABC is in equilibrium then
Rh = P
Rh = Horizontal component of resultant
P = pressure exerted by the element.
• Taking the sum of vertical force equals to zero
Rv = weight of fluid above AB

If the plate is of uniform width and perpendicular to the

page of the diagram Rh and Rv will intersect at a point.
Figure-5: Submersed Curved Surface
R = √(Rh2 + Rv2)
tan ϴ = Rv/Rh

Menometers
Menometers are devices which employ liquid of different
specific gravity to measure pressure or difference in
pressure.

Simple menometer:
• Also known as piezometer.
• Always give positive values.
• The liquid rises into the tube until it reaches
equilibrium.
• Tube diameter should not be less than 10 mm other
wise capillary rise will give error in data.
• After reaching the equilibrium state pressure can be
measured at any point in the container
pA = ρgh1
pb = ρgh2
 Pressure is expressed in units of length of the liquid.
Figure-6: Simple Menometer.

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Differential Menometer

Figure-6 : Differential Menometer

• Differential menmeters are mainly used to measure negative and positive small pressure difference.
• A menometric liquid which has greater specific gravity than the experiment fluid (whose pressure will be
measured) is used.
• It has more than one limb.
• The concept of similar level is used to measure the pressure difference in fluids.

Problem

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Problem
Find the pressure difference between point A and point B in the fihure given below.

Buoyancy and Stability

Buoyancy:
A body immersed partially of fully in a fluid experiences an upward force known ad buoyant force.
The tendency of a submerged body to rise in a fluid because of buoyant force, which opposes the
downward force of gravity or weight of the fluid is known as buoyancy.
The magnitude of the buoyant force can be determined by the Archiemede’s low which states that
when a body is submerged in to a liquid it removes the same volume of water which is equal to it’s
own volume.

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of water the body has removed.
The buoyant force acts through the center of gravity of the volume of removed water.

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Thank you!