FLUID MECHANICS

chapter 1
 Introduction
 1.1 Definition of fluid
 1.2 Type of fluid
 1.3 Fluid properties
What is a Fluid ?
 A fluid is a substance in the gaseous or liquid form
 Distinction between solid and fluid?
 Solid: can resist an applied shear by deforming. Stress is
proportional to strain
 Fluid: deforms continuously under applied shear. Stress is
proportional to strain rate

Solid Fluid

F F V
    
A A h
What is a fluid ?
• Stress is defined as the
force per unit area.
• Normal component:
normal stress
– In a fluid at rest, the normal
stress is called pressure
• Tangential component:
shear stress
What is a fluid ?
• A liquid takes the shape of
the container it is in and
forms a free surface in the
presence of gravity
• A gas expands until it
encounters the walls of the
container and fills the entire
available space. Gases
cannot form a free surface
• Gas and vapor are often
used as synonymous words
What is a fluid ?

solid liquid gas

Liquid and Gas
 Although liquids and gasses behave in much the same way and
share many similar characteristics, they also possess distinct
characteristics of their own. Specifically
 -Liquid
 A liquid is difficult to compress and often regarded as being
incompressible.
 A given mass of liquid occupies a given volume and will
occupy the container it is in and form a free surface (if the
container is of a larger volume).
Liquid and Gas
 Gas
 A gas has no fixed volume, it changes volume to expand to fill
the containing vessel. It will completely fill the vessel so no free
surface is formed.
 A gas is easily to compress and usually treated as such - it changes
volume with pressure.