SUBJECT: FLUID MECHANICS

LEVEL: N5

CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO FLUID MECHANICS

After completing this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the physical properties of fluids.

• Perform calculations based on the different properties of fluids.

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Properties of Liquids
• Density: Is the mass of a liquid per unit volume and the formula is
.
• Relative Density: Is the density of a liquid or substance relative to the
density of pure water, i.e .
For example the relative density of mercury is

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• Temperature: Is the measure of the hotness or coldness of a substance
(liquid). It must be noted that temperature is not a direct measure of heat
energy contained in the body. For this course we disregard the effects of
temperature in liquids, unless otherwise stated.
• Specific weight: Is the weight of a substance per unit volume; and it is
directly proportional to pressure and inversely proportional to temperature.
The formula is .
• Viscosity: When fluids are in motion, shear stresses are setup between the
layers of the liquid. Hence viscosity is the measure of the resistance of the
fluid to shear, that the measure of the internal friction in a liquid.

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• Two types of viscosity: Dynamic and Kinematic viscosity
Dynamic viscosity (µ) is also referred to as the coefficient of viscosity and is
measured in
Kinematic viscosity is measured in and is calculated as follows:

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• Example
A machine of mass 60 kg rests on a flat steel plate. The surface area of the
machine that is in contact with the steel plate is 0,6 The plate is tilted until it
reaches an angle of 5⁰ to the horizontal. Determine the maximum speed of
descent of the machine if the two surfaces are separated by an oil film 1,5 mm
thick with a viscosity of 4 x
Solution

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• Compressibility
Liquids are generally known to be uncompressible, but under very high pressure
they are compressed up to about 5 % of their volume. This percentage can
increase if a certain amount of air is trapped in the hydraulic system. This
explains why motor car brakes fail when there is air in the system. The ratio of
change in volume as compared to the original volume that occurs results in the
volumetric strain
The ratio between pressure and the volumetric strain is referred to as the Bulk
Modulus (K); and this is dependent on three factors, namely:
The liquid used
The strength of the container material
The presence of air in the system
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• Example
A heavy tank, as shown, contains oil to the depth of 600
mm and water to the depth of 1 m. If the pressurised to
800 kPa, what will be the downward movement of the
oil and water? The bulk modulus of water and oil are
2070 kPa and 2040 kPa respectively. Ignore hydrostatic
pressure resulting from the liquids. The tank has an
internal diameter of 500 mm.
Solution

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• Surface Tension: Is the property of fluid that allows a needle to float on it or
allows insects to walk on top of it without sinking. It pulls adjacent parts of
the liquid’s surface together, thereby decreasing the surface area to be the
smallest possible size. The video below illustrates the some calculations
involved in surface tension.

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 THE END
THANK YOU!
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