Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 3
Fluid Statics
 Main Topics

The Basic Equations of Fluid

Statics
Pressure Variation in a Static Fluid
Hydrostatic Force on Submerged
Plane and Curved Surfaces
Buoyancy & Stability

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Body Force

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Surface Force

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Surface Force

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Surface Force

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Total Force

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Newton’s Second Law

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 The Basic Equations of Fluid Statics

Pressure-Height Relation

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 Pressure

Pressure is defined as a normal force

exerted by a fluid per unit area.
Units of pressure are N/m2, which is called
a pascal (Pa).
Since the unit Pa is too small for pressures
encountered in practice, kilopascal (1 kPa
= 103 Pa) and megapascal (1 MPa = 106
Pa) are commonly used.
Other units include bar, atm, kgf/cm2,
lbf/in2=psi.
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 Pressure at a Point

“Pressure at any point in a fluid at rest or

in motion, is independent of direction as
long as there is no shearing stress
present”- Pascal’s law.
Pressure has a magnitude, but not a
specific direction, and thus it is a scalar
quantity.

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 Absolute, gage, and vacuum pressures

Actual pressure at a give point is called

the absolute pressure.
Most pressure-measuring devices are
calibrated to read zero in the atmosphere,
and therefore indicate gage pressure,
Pgage=Pabs - Patm.
Pressure below atmospheric pressure are
called vacuum pressure, Pvac=Patm - Pabs.

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 Absolute, gage, and vacuum pressures

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 Pressure Variation in a Static Fluid
Incompressible Fluid: Manometers

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 Pressure Variation in a Static Fluid

Compressible Fluid: Ideal Gas

Need additional information, e.g., T(z)

for atmosphere

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces

Plane Submerged Surface

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces

y´

x´
Figure 2.17 (p. 58)
Notation for hydrostatic force on an inclined plane surface of arbitrary shape.

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces
Magnitude of To compute location of Resultant
Resultant force, force, FR
FR is given by
y´ x´

Integral Equation FR = ∫ p dA y′ FR = ∫ y p dA x′ FR = ∫ x p dA
A A A

Algebraic equation
for resultant force on ρ g sin θ I xxˆ ˆ ρ g sin θ I xyˆˆ
the submerged side FR = Pc ( abs ) A y′ = yc +
FR
x′ = xc +
FR
only
Algebraic equation
for resultant net
I ˆˆ
xy I
force when ambient
pressure P0 on the F =P
R c ( gage )A y′ = y + c
ˆˆ
xx
c x′ = x +
other side of the Ay c c Ay
Figure
surface as at 2.17
the (p. 58)
freeNotation
surface for hydrostatic force on an inclined plane surface of arbitrary shape.

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces
The total hydrostatic pressure force on any submerged plane
surface is equal to the product of the surface area and the
pressure acting at the centroid (C.G.) of the plane surface.
Resultant/Net force of a static fluid is due to the
hydrostatic pressure on the submerged plane surface.

The resultant force acts compressively, normal to the

surface, through a point called centre of pressure (CP).
This centre of pressure is not necessarily to be the
centroid.
This resultant force is independent of the shape of
the surface or its angle of inclination.
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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces
• Pressure forces acting on a plane surface are distributed over
every part of the surface.
• They are parallel and act in a direction normal to the surface.
• They can be replaced by a single resultant force FR = γ hcA.
acting normal to the surface.
• The point on the plane surface at which this resultant force acts
is known as the center of pressure (C.P.).
• The center of pressure of any submerged plane surface is
always below the centroid of the surface (y´> yc).

∫ y dFR ∫ dA
2
y
I xx I xxˆ ˆ + Ayc 2 I xxˆ ˆ
y′ = A
= A
= = = + yc
FR Ayc M xx Ay Ayc
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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Surfaces
If the surface is horizontal, the centre of pressure
coincides with centroid.
If the surface become more deeply submerged, centre
of pressure approaches centroid.
When the surface area is symmetric about either axis,
I xyˆˆ = ∫ xy dA = 0
A

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 The centroid, area, and moment of inertia with respect to
the centroid of some common geometrical plane surfaces

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 The centroid, area, and moment of inertia with respect to
the centroid of some common geometrical plane surfaces

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Curved
Surfaces

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Curved
Surfaces

The hydrostatic force on a curved surface can be best analyzed by

resolving the total pressure force on the surface into its horizontal and
vertical components.
Then combine these forces to obtain the resultant force and its direction.

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 Hydrostatic Force on Submerged Curved
Surfaces
Resultant force
The overall resultant force is found by combining the
vertical and horizontal components vectorialy:

F = FH2 + FV2

The angle the resultant force makes to the horizontal is:

 FV 
θ = tan −1  
 FH 

The position of F is the point of intersection of the

horizontal line of action of FH and the vertical line of
action of FV .
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Pressure distribution on a semi-cylindrical gate

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 Buoyancy and Stability
Archimedes' Principle
The weight of a submerged body is reduced by an amount equal
to the weight of the liquid displaced by the body.

When a body is submerged or floating in a static fluid, the resultant

pressure force exerted on it by the fluid is called the buoyancy force.

Fb = γ FluidVDisplaced by Body
The buoyant force has a magnitude equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by the body and is directed vertically upward.

This force will act vertically upward through the centroid of the volume of
fluid displaced, known as the centre of buoyancy.

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 Buoyancy and Stability

Buoyancy of a submerged body

Fb = γ FluidVDisplaced by Body = γ (h2 − h1 )dA

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 Buoyancy and Stability

Buoyancy force Fb is equal

only to the weight of
displaced fluid ρf g Vdisplaced
Three scenarios possible:
1. ρbody<ρfluid: Floating body/
positively buoyant body

2. ρbody=ρfluid: Neutrally buoyant

body

3. ρbody>ρfluid: Sinking body/

negatively buoyant body
(gravitational pull is greater
than buoyant force)

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 Stability of Immersed Bodies

Rotational stability of immersed bodies depends upon

relative location of center of gravity G and center of
buoyancy B.
G below B: stable
G above B: unstable
G coincides with B: neutrally stable.

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 Stability of Floating Bodies
The equilibrium of a floating body may be:
• Stable Equilibrium : if when displaced returns to
equilibrium position.

• Unstable Equilibrium: if when displaced it returns to a

new equilibrium position.

• Neutral Equilibrium if when displaced it moves further

from it

The stability depends upon whether, when given a small

displacement, it tends to return to the equilibrium position,
move further from it or remain in the displaced position.

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 Stability of Floating Bodies
When the body is displaced through an angle θ , the center
of buoyancy move from B to B` and a turning moment is
produced.

M (metacentre) is the point at which the line of action of the

upthrust Fb intersects the vertical line through G.
GM known as the metacentric height.

Then:

Moment generated = W × GM × Sin θ

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 Stability of Floating Bodies
Measure of stability is the metacentric
height GM. If GM/BG >1, floating body is
stable.
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If M lies above G, body is bottom
heavy, it is always stable, Positive
metacentric height, The couple so
produced sets in a restoring couple
equal to W*GM*Sin θ opposing the
disturbing/overturning moment and
thereby bringing the body to its original
position. The body is said to be in
stable equilibrium. BM> BG
If M is below G, Negative metacentric
height, The moment of the couple
further disturbs the displacement and
the body is in unstable equilibrium.
BM< BG
G & M Coincide, zero metacentric
height. The body floats stably in its
displaced position. This condition of
neutral equilibrium exists when BM=
BG
Chapter 3: Fluid Statics
 Sea level Conditions of US Standard Atmosphere

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 Useful Equations

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