Mechanical properties of fluids

Properties
• Fluids are the sustances which can flow e.g.,
liquids and gases.
• The atoms or molecules in a fluid are arranged in
a random manner.
• It does not possess definite shape on its own. So
fluids has no modulus of rigidity.
• A fluid cannot withstand shearing stress since it
begins to flow.
• A fluid can exert / withstand a force in a direction
perpendicular to its surface. So it has bulk
modulus of rigidity
 Pascal’s law

• This law states that pressure exerted in some

liquid which is at rest is the same in all the
directions.

OR

• Whenever an external pressure is applied on any

part of a fluid contained in a vessel, it is
transmitted undiminished and equally in all
directions.
Pressure
Hydraulic lift
Hydraulic Brake
Derivation of Pascal’s Law
Variation of Pressure with Depth
 Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow.
The SI unit of viscosity is poiseiulle (PI).
Its other units are newton-second per square metre
(N s m-2), pascal-second (Pa s.)
The dimensional formula of viscosity is [ML-1T-1].
The viscosity of liquids decreases rapidly with an
increase in temperature, and the viscosity of
gases increases with an increase in temperature.
Thus, upon heating, liquids flow more easily,
whereas gases flow more slowly
 Co-efficient of Viscosity

Therefore, it can be written as:

F ∝ A (dv/dx)
Lets remove the proportionality sign by introducing a
proportionality constant η.
F = -η A (dv/dx)
 Stokes’ law
• Stokes’ law is a mathematical equation for
the drag force experienced by small spherical
particles passing through a viscous fluid
medium.
Derivation of terminal velocity
• Streamline flow is a smooth flow whereas
the particles of turbulent flow are
continuously moving and mixing with each
other.
 Bernoulli’s Theorem
• Bernoulli’s equation formula is a relation between
pressure, kinetic energy, and gravitational potential
energy of a fluid in a container.
• The formula for Bernoulli’s principle is given as follows:

• Where p is the pressure exerted by the fluid, v is the

velocity of the fluid, ρ is the density of the fluid and h is
the height of the container.
• Bernoulli’s equation gives great insight into the balance
between pressure, velocity and elevation.