Fluid Mechanics for MAP/Fluid Statics
< Fluid Mechanics for MAPDefinitions

Fluid statics is the study of fluids which are either at rest or in rigid body motion with respect to a fixed frame of reference. Rigid body motion means that there is no relative velocity between the fluid particles.
In a fluid at rest, there is no shear stress, i. e. fluid does not deform, but fluid sustains normal stresses.
We can apply Newton's second law of motion to evaluate the reaction of the particle to the applied forces.

Force balance in direction:

We can also say,
Force created by pressure is :
is the vector having the surface area as magnitude and surface normal as direction.
Thus,
Force caused by the pressures opposite to the surface normal.
For a differential fluid element:
Remember Taylor Series expansion:
P is the pressure in the center of the fluid element, therefore the pressure on the surface in direction of is
.
Thus,
Thus,
or,
or,
or,
for
Pressure changes only in direction.
Pressure variation in an incompressible and static fluid

is constant since
and
are constants.


If we take at the surface, then:


h is measured from the surface.
Any two points at the same elevation in a continuous length of the same liquid are at the same pressure. Pressure increases as one goes down in a liquid column. Remember: ![]() |
![]() similar depth in same fluid experience similar hydrostatic pressure |
For incompressible flow, ![]() Consider 3 immiscible fluids in a container and find out a relation for the pressure at the bottom of the fluid shown in the schematics besides. |
![]() Hydrostatic pressure profile for fluids with different densities and height |
Transmission of Pressure
Concept of transmission of pressure is very important for hydraulic and pneumatics system. Neglecting elevation changes the following relation can be written: ![]() which could be stated in the famous Pascal's law like below: A change in pressure at any point in an enclosed fluid at rest is transmitted undiminished to all points in the fluid |
![]() Pascal's law |
Communicating containers

Lets consider two closed containers(which means the free surface pressure could be different than atmospheric pressure) both contain same fluid are connected via a connector valve. When the valve is open, the heights of the fluid columns can give an indication about the pressure in both chamber. For closed container ![]() (of course,when we calculate the small 'h', it should be measured at the height of connecting valve for both column distinctively.) for ![]() So from the picture above, we can understand that the pressure in the right column is higher than the left column. For open Containers, If both fluid columns are at the same level so, the depth of the fluid from free surface in both column will be the same. This nice principle was used for Water-based Barometer [1] a.k.a 'Storm Barometer' or 'Goethe Barometer'. Try to see if you understand the device. |
![]() Goethe Barometer |
Pressure Measurement Equipments
Barometer
From the equations which we derived before , it is also possible to measure the pressure exerted by almost 100 km[2] thick earth atmosphere which is above us. Since the constituents and the density varies over the height of the atmosphere , we will consider a fluid column which have free surface with no atmospheric pressure but connected with a fluid which experience atmospheric pressure like communicating container. Let consider first (from previous section), ![]() for water height will be: ![]()
|
![]() Barometer |
U-tube manometer
The volume rate of flow, Q, through a pipe can be determined by means of a flow nozzle located in the pipe as illustrated in the figure. The nozzle creates a pressure drop, (a) Although the fluid in the pipe is moving, the fluids in the columns of the manometer are at rest so that the pressure variation in the manometer tubes is hydrostatic. If we start at point A and move vertically upward to level (1), the pressure will decrease by Thus, in equation form ![]() or ![]() It is to be noted that the only column height of importance is the differential reading,
![]() |
![]() Application of U tube manometer to measure pressure difference |
Inclined-Tube Manometer
To measure small pressure changes, a monometer of the type shown in the figure, is frequently used. One leg of the manometer is inclined at an angle ![]() or ![]() where the pressure difference between points (1) and (2) is due to the vertical distance between the points, which can be expressed as ![]()
![]() where the contributions of the gas columns |
![]() inlclined-Tube manometer to measure small difference |
Other related topics
Buoyancy and calculation of forces on the submerged surfaces are topics related to fluid statics.