Fluid mechanics is the study of fluids and how they flow. It is a branch of physics that deals with the behavior of liquids and gases. The word “fluid” comes from the Latin word for “flow”. Fluid mechanics can be divided into two main branches: fluid statics and fluid dynamics.
Fluid statics is the study of fluids at rest, while fluid dynamics is the study of moving fluids. Both branches are important in many fields, such as engineering, aerodynamics, meteorology, and oceanography.
One of the most important concepts in fluid mechanics is pressure. Pressure is defined as force per unit area. It is a measure of how much force is exerted on an object by a fluid (liquid or gas) pressing against it. The SI unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa), which equals one newton per square meter (N/m^2).
Another important concept in fluid mechanics is viscosity. Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. The SI unit for viscosity is the poise (P), which equals one dyne-second per square centimeter (dyn s/cm^2).
The study of fluid mechanics has many applications in our everyday lives. For example, when you turn on a faucet, water flows out because there is a difference in pressure between the inside and outside of the faucet; this difference in pressure creates what we call “water pressure”. This same principle applies to all fluids, not just water; any time there is a difference in pressure between two points, there will be flow from high to low pressure until equilibriumis reached.
A wide range of phenomena involving fluids fall under the umbrella of fluid mechanics including:
*Laminar flow and turbulent flow
*Vortices
*Wakes
*Boundary layers
*Flow around bodies submerged in fluids
Understanding these types of flows are critical for numerous applications – ranging from designing aircraft wings that minimize drag to understanding how blood flows through arteries during cardiovascular disease