Fluids
A fluid is matter that flows under pressure, which includes liquids, gases, and even plasmas. Water is a fluid, air is a fluid, the sun is a fluid, even molasses are a fluid. Fluid Mechanics is the study of fluids, ranging from fluids at rest, to fluids in motion, to forces applied to and exerted by fluids. You could start your study of fluids in a variety of places, but one of the simplest examples of fluid behavior comes from investigating objects that float and objects that sink. To understand this behavior, why not begin with density?
Objectives
- Calculate the density of an object.
- Determine whether an object will float given its average density.
- Calculate the forces on a submerged or partially submerged object using Archimedes’ Principle.
- Calculate pressure as the force a system exerts over an area.
- Explain the operation of a hydraulic system as a function of equal pressure throughout a fluid.
- Apply the continuity equation to fluids in motion.
- Apply Bernoulli’s Principle to fluids in motion.
Topics of Study
