Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

FLUID MECHANICS 2A
STR2A11
The Nature of Fluids and the
Study of Fluid Mechanics

CHAPTER 1

By: Thabang Mafokoane

tmafokoane@uj.ac.za

OBJECTIVES
1. Identify “SI” units for basic quantities
2. Define the relationship between force & mass
3. Describe four important properties of fluids
4. Define pressure
5. Define density, specific weight, and specific
gravity
6. Identify relationship between density, specific
weight, and specific gravity
7. Define surface tension, and capillary effect

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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

OUTLINE
 Section 1.3 The SI system
 Section 1.5.1 Weight & mass
 Section 1.6 Temperature
 Section 1.7 Units conversion
 Section 1.8 Definition of pressure
 Section 1.9 Compressibility
 Section 1.10 Density, specific weight &
specific gravity
 Section 1.11 Surface tension

STR2A11 (2017)

The International
System of Units (1.3)
• In any technical work, always state the units of
the physical properties measured
• Ultimate reference for standard use of metric
units is the International System of Units (SI)
• 4 primary dimensions in fluid mechanics are:
length (m), time (s), mass (kg) & temperature (K)
• Other secondary units can be derived
• “SI” units for basic quantities are:
length (m), time (s), mass (kg) & force (N)
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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

The International
System of Units (1.3)
• Derived unit for force is: F = ma = kg.m/s2 = N

• Similarly: m = F/a = N/(m/s2) = N.s2/m

• Prefixes
 giga (G)  109 = 1 000 000 000
 mega (M)  106 = 1 000 000
 kilo (k)  103 = 1 000
 milli (m)  10-3 = 0,001
 micro (µ)  10-6 = 0,000 001
 nano (n)  10-9 = 0,000 000 001
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Weight & Mass (1.5.1)

• Mass = quantity of a substance (kg)
• Weight = force (N)

• Newton’s law of gravitation: F = ma

• Weight (w) implies acceleration (a) =

gravitational acceleration (g)
• Thus, w = mg
in Newtons (N)
use g = 9.81 m/s2

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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

Example
F
What is the force exerted on the wire?
w = m∙g
= mass(kg) ∙ acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)
= 5,6 kg ∙ 9,81 m/s2
= 54,936 kg∙m/s2
= 54,936 N
5,6 kg
Thus 5,6 kg of rock weighs 54,936 N

What is the mass of the rock?

F = 8,25 N
mass(kg) = weight (kg∙m/s2) / acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)
= 8,25 kg∙m/s2 / 9,81 m/s2
=0,841 kg ? kg
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Temperature (1.6)
• Often measured in ºC (degree Celsius) OR ºF
(degree Fahrenheit)

• Water freezes at 0 ºC and boils at 100 ºC

• Water freezes at 32 ºF and boils at 212 ºF

• Relationship: 1 ºC = 1.8 ºF
• Thus:
TF = 1.8 TC + 32 OR TC = (TF – 32) / 1.8
• For this module, use ºC when working with SI
units
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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

Temperature (1.6)
• SI unit for temperature = Kelvin (K)
• Absolute zero = where all molecular motion
stops, thus 0 K
• Water freezes at 273.15 K and boils at 373.15 K
• TK = TC + 273,15

• Another absolute reference measure = ºR

(degree Rankine)
• Absolute zero at 0 ºR
• TR = TF + 459,67

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Units Conversion (1.7)

• Use unit-cancelation procedure:
1. Solve the equation algebraically for the
desired term
2. Decide on the proper units for the result
3. Substitute known values, including units
4. Cancel units that appear in both the
numerator and the denominator of any term
5. Use conversion factors to eliminate unwanted
units and obtain the proper units as decided
in Step 2
6. Perform the calculation
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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

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Definition of Pressure (1.8)

• the amount of force exerted on a unit area of a
substance

• Equation: p = F / A
= N / m2
= pascal (Pa)

• Can also be measured in bar: 1 bar = 100 kPa

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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

Definition of Pressure (1.8)

• 2 important principles about pressure (Pascal’s
Law)

1) Pressure acts uniformly

in all directions on a
small volume of a fluid

2) Pressure acts
perpendicular to the
boundary where fluid
confined by solid boundaries
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Compressibility (1.9)
• the change in volume (V) due to change in
pressure (P)
• Quantity used to measure this phenomenon:
bulk modulus of elasticity (E)
 P
E
V 
V
Example 1.4
Compute the change in pressure that must be applied to
water to change its volume by 1.0 percent.
1% of volume change  ∆V/V = -0.01
Thus: ∆p = -E (∆V/V) = -2 179 (-0.01) = 21.79 MPa
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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

Density, Specific Weight &

Specific Gravity (1.10)
• Density (or mass density) = the amount of
mass per unit volume of a substance
• Equation: ρ = m/V
Where m = mass (kg) and V = volume (m3)
Thus, ρ is measured kg/m3

• Specific weight (or weight density) = the

amount of weight per unit volume of a substance
• Equation: γ = w/V
Where w = weight (N) and V = volume (m3)
Thus, γ is measured N/ m3
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• For Specific gravity (sg), the reference fluid is

pure water at 4 ºC
a) sg = ρs / ρw @ 4 ºC, or
b) sg = γs / γw @ 4 ºC

Where:
ρw@ 4ºC = 1000kg/m3 & γw @ 4ºC = 9.81kN/m3

Thus:
sg = γs / 9.81 kN/m3 or sg = ρs / 1000 kg/m3

• See Appendix A for properties of water

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Relation between ρ & γ (1.10.1)

• γ = w/V [Definition of specific weight]

• But w = mg [Newton’s law]

• Thus γ = mg/V

• But ρ = m/V [Definition of density]

• Therefore: γ = ρg

Do Example 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7

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Surface Tension (1.11)

• tensile force acting on the surface of a liquid in
contact with a gas or on the surface of two
immiscible liquids such that the contact surface
behaves like a membrane (or thin film)
• It is also the reason that water
droplets assume a nearly
spherical shape
• Measured as work per unit
area required to move lower
molecules to the surface of
the liquid (N/m)
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Fluid Mechanics 2A (STR2A11) Date: 2/9/2017

Surface Tension (1.11)

• Capillary Effect: another interesting

consequence of surface tension

• It is the rise or fall of a liquid in a

small-diameter tube inserted into
the liquid.
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