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Introduction
Fluid mechanics is a physical science dealing with the
action of fluids at rest or in motion, and with applications and

Chapter 1: devices in engineering using fluids. Fluid mechanics can be

subdivided into two major areas, fluid statics, which deals with

Properties of Fluid fluids at rest, and fluid dynamics, concerned with fluids in
motion.

Types of Fluid Types of Fluid

Fluids are generally divided into two categories: ideal fluids Fluids are generally divided into two categories: ideal fluids
and real fluids. and real fluids.
Ideal Fluids Real Fluids
• Assumed to have no viscosity (and hence, no resistance • Exhibit infinite viscosities
to shear) • Non-uniform velocity distribution when flowing
• Incompressible • Compressible
• Have uniform velocity when flowing • Experience friction and turbulence in flow
• No friction between moving layers of fluid
• No eddy current or turbulence

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Types of Fluid Types of Fluid

Real fluids are further divided into Newtonian fluids
and non-Newtonian fluids.
Most fluid problems assume real fluids with
Newtonian characteristics for convenience. This assumption
is appropriate for water, air, gases, steam, and other simple
fluids like alcohol, gasoline, acid solutions, etc. However,
slurries, pastes, gels, suspensions may not behave according
to simple fluid relationships.

Mass Density, 𝝆 (Rho) Mass Density, 𝝆 (Rho)

The density of a fluid is its mass per unit of volume. For an ideal gas, its density can be found from the
specific gas constant and ideal gas law:
𝒑
𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑴 𝝆=
𝝆= = 𝑹𝑻
𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝑽 Where:
𝑝 = absolute pressure of gas, Pa
Units: 𝑅 = gas constant, Joule/kg-oK, J/kg-oK, N-m/kg-oK
English - slugs/ft3, lbm/ft3 (1 slug = 32.2 lbm) For air:
SI - kg/m3 𝑅 = 287 J/kg-oK
𝑅 = 1,716 lb-ft/slug-oR
𝑇 = absolute temperature, oKelvin, oRankine
oK = oC + 273
oR = oF + 460

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Mass Density, 𝝆 (Rho) Specific Volume, 𝑽𝒔

Specific volume, 𝑉𝑠 , is the volume occupied by a unit
mass of fluid.

𝟏
𝑽𝒔 =
𝝆

Unit Weight or Specific

Weight, 𝜸 Specific Gravity, 𝒔
Specific weight or unit weight, 𝛾, is the weight of a Specific gravity, 𝑠, is a dimensionless ratio of a fluid’s
unit volume of a fluid. density to some standard reference density. For liquids and
solids, the reference density is water at 4oC (39.2 oF).
𝝆𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅
𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑾 𝒔=
𝜸= = 𝝆𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓
𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝑽 In gases, the standard reference to calculate the
specific gravity is the density of air.
𝜸 = 𝝆𝒈 𝝆𝒈𝒂𝒔
Units:
𝒔=
𝝆𝒂𝒊𝒓
English - lb/ft3 For water at 4oC:
SI - N/m3 or kN/m3 𝛾 = 62.4 lb/ft3 = 9.81 kN/m3
𝜌 = 1.94 slugs/ft3 = 1,000 kg/m3
𝑠 = 1.0

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Viscosity, 𝝁 (mu) Viscosity, 𝝁 (mu)

The property of a fluid which determines the amount The property of a fluid which determines the amount
of its resistance to shearing forces. A perfect fluid would of its resistance to shearing forces. A perfect fluid would
have no viscosity. have no viscosity.
𝝉
𝝁=
𝒅𝑽
𝒅𝒚
Where:
𝜇 = absolute viscosity in lb sec/ft2 (poises) or Pa-sec
𝜏 = shear stress in lb/ft2 or Pa
𝑦 = distance between the plates in ft or m
𝑈 = velocity in ft/s or m/s
𝑑𝑉 = change in volume
𝑑𝑦 = distance

Kinematic Viscosity, 𝛎 (nu) Surface Tension, 𝝈 (sigma)

Kinematic viscosity is the ratio of the dynamic The membrane of “skin” that seems to form on the
viscosity of the fluid, 𝜇, to its mass density, 𝜌. free surface of a liquid is due to the intermolecular
𝝁 cohesive forces, and is known as surface tension. Surface
𝝂=
𝝆 tension is the reason that insects are able to sit on water
Where: and a needle is able to float on it. Surface tension also
𝜇 = absolute viscosity in lb sec/ft2 (poises) or Pa-sec causes bubbles and droplets to take on a spherical shape,
𝜌 = density in kg/m3
since any other shape would have more surface area per
unit volume.

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Surface Tension, 𝝈 (sigma) Capillarity

Pressure Inside a Droplet of Liquid: Capillarity (Capillarity action) is the name given to
the behaviour of the liquid in a thin-bore tube. The rise or
𝟒𝝈 fall of a liquid in a capillary tube is caused by surface
𝒑= tension and depends on the relative magnitudes of the
𝒅
cohesion of the liquid and the adhesion of the liquid to the
walls of the containing vessel. Liquids rise in tubes they wet
Where: (adhesion > cohesion) and fall in tubes they do not wet
𝜎 = surface tension in N/m (cohesion > adhesion). Capillary is important when using
𝑑 = diameter of the droplet in m tubes smaller than about 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) in diameter.
𝑝 = gage pressure in Pa

Capillarity Capillarity
𝟒𝝈 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽
𝒉=
𝜸𝒅
For complete wetting, as with water on clean glass,
the angle 𝜃 is 0o. Hence the formula becomes

𝟒𝝈
𝒉=
𝜸𝒅
Where:
ℎ = capillary rise or depression in m
𝛾 = unit weight in N/m3
𝑑 = diameter of the tube in m
𝜎 = surface tension in N/m

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Capillarity Compressibility, 𝜷
Compressibility (also known as the coefficient of
compressibility) is the fractional change in the volume of a
fluid per unit change in pressure in a constant-temperature
process.
∆𝑽
− 𝟏
𝜷= 𝑽 =
∆𝒑 𝑬𝑩
𝒅𝑽
𝑽
or 𝜷 =−
𝒅𝒑
Where:
∆𝑉 = change in volume, 𝑉2 − 𝑉1
𝑉 = original volume
∆𝑝 = change in pressure, 𝑝2 − 𝑝1
𝑑𝑉 𝑉 = change in volume (usually in percent)

Bulk Modulus of Elasticity, 𝑬𝑩 Example 1:

The bulk modulus of elasticity of the fluid expresses A reservoir of glycerin has a mass of 1,200 kg and a volume of
the compressibility of the fluid. It is the ratio of the change 0.952 cu.m. Find its (a) weight, 𝑊, (b) unit weight, 𝛾, (c) mass
in unit pressure to the corresponding volume change per density, 𝜌, and (d) specific gravity, 𝑠.
unit of volume.
𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 ∆𝒑
𝑬𝑩 = =
𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 ∆𝑽
𝑽
𝒅𝒑
or 𝑬𝑩 = − 𝒅𝑽 𝑽
𝟏
or 𝑬𝑩 =
𝜷

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Example 1:1 Example 2:

The specific gravity of a certain oil is 0.82. Calculate its (a)
specific weight in lb/ft3 and kN/m3, and (b) mass density in
slugs/ft3 and kg/m3.

Example 2:2 Example 3:

If an object has a mass of 22 kg at sea level, (a) what will be its
weight at a point where the acceleration due to gravity 𝑔 =
9.75 m/s2? (b) What will be its mass at that point?

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Example 3:4 Example 4:

If the specific volume of a certain gas is 0.7848 m3/kg, what is
its specific weight?

Example 4:6 Example 5:

What is the specific weight of air at 480 kPa absolute and 21oC?

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Example 5:7 Example 6:

Air is kept at a pressure of 200 kPa absolute and a temperature
of 30oC in a 500 liter container. What is the mass of air?

Example 6:10 Example 7:

A liquid compressed in a container has a volume of 1 liter at a
pressure of 1 MPa and a volume of 0.995 liter at a pressure of 2
MPa. What is the bulk modulus of elasticity (𝐸𝐵) of the liquid?

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Example 7:13 Example 8:

Water in a hydraulic press, initially at 137 kPa absolute, is
subjected to a pressure of 116,280 kPa absolute. Using 𝐸𝐵 = 2.5
GPa, determine the percentage decrease in the volume of
water.

Example 8:15

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