Mechanical Properties of Fluids

1. Pressure. The thrust exerted by a liquid per unit area Other units used for atmospheric pressure are as
of the surface in contact with it is known as pressure. follows :
Thrust F 1 atm = 1.013 × 106 dyne cm-2
Pressure = Area or P = A
= 1.013 ×105 Nm-2(or Pa)
Pressure is a scalar quantity.
1 bar = 106dyne cm-2 = 105Nm-2
1 millibar (m bar) = 10-3bar = 103dyne cm-2
2. Units and dimensions of pressure. The CGS unit of
= 102 Nm-2
pressure is dyne cm-2 and its SI unit is Nm-2 which is
1 torr = 1 mm Hg
also called pascal (Pa). The dimensional formula of
1 atm = 101.3 kPa =1.013 bar =760 torr.
pressure is [ML-1T-2].
9. Absolute pressure and gauge pressure. The total or
3. Density. The density of any material is defined as its
actual pressure P at a point is called absolute
mass per unit volume.
Mass M pressure. Gauge pressure is the difference between
Density = or ρ = the actual pressure (absolute pressure) at a point and
Volume V
Density is a positive scalar quantity. the atmospheric pressure. Thus
Pg = P - Pa or P = Pa + Pg
4. Units and dimensions of density. The SI unit of Absolute pressure = Atmospheric pressure + Gauge
density is kg m-3 and the CGS unit is g cm-3. The pressure.
dimensional formula of density is [ML-3].
10. Archemedes' principle. It states that when a body is
5. Specific gravity. The relative density or specific immersed partly or wholly in a fluid, it loses some
gravity of a substance is defined as the ratio of the weight. The loss in weight is equal to the weight of the
density of the substance to the density of water at 4°C fluid displaced.
Density of substance
Specific gravity = Density of water at 4°C Apparent weight of a body in a fluid
= True weight - Weight of fluid displaced
Specific gravity is a dimensionless positive scalar
Wapp = W - U = V σ g - V ρ g
quantity. 𝜌 ρ
= V σ g(1 ‐ 𝜎) = 𝑉𝑉 (1‐ 𝜎)
6. Hydraulic lift. It is an application of Pascal's law. It is where W = V σ g is the weight of the body and σ its
used to lift heavy objects. density.
According to Pascal's law,
Pressure applied on smaller piston 11. Law of floatation. A body will float in a liquid if weight
= Pressure transmitted to larger piston of the liquid displaced by the body is atleast equal to
f F f
P = a = A or F = P × A = a × 𝐴 or greater than the weight of the body.
As A > a, so F > f When a body just floats,
Thus hydraulic lift acts as a force multiplier. Weight of the body = Weight of liquid displaced
V′ σ
Vg = V ′ ρg or V
=𝜌
7. Effect of gravity on fluid pressure. The pressure in Volume of the immersed part
or Total volume of the body
a fluid varies with depth h according to the
Density of the body
expression = Density of liquid .
P = Pa+ hρg
where ρ is the fluid density, assumed uniform. 12. Newton's formula for viscous force. The viscous drag
between two parallel layers each of area A and having
8. Atmospheric pressure. The pressure exerted by the velocity gradient dv/dx is given by
atmosphere is called atmospheric pressure. At sea- dv
level, we have F = -η A dx
Atmospheric pressure where η is the coefficient of viscosity of the liquid.
= Pressure exerted by 0.76 m of Hg
= h ρg = 0.76 × 13.6 × 103 × 9.8 13. Units of 𝜼. The CGS unit of q is poise. The coefficient
= 1.013 × 105 Nm-2 of viscosity of a liquid is 1 poise if a tangential force of
1 dyne cm-2 of the surface is required to maintain a

Arvind Academy Youtube Channel Click here:https://www.youtube.com/@ArvindAcademy 1

 relative velocity of 1 cm s-1 between two layers of the 19. Rate of flow The volume of a liquid flowing per
liquid 1 cm apart. second through a pipe of cross-section a with velocity
1 poise = 1 dyne s cm-2 = 1 g cm-1s-1 v is given by
The SI unit of q is decapoise. The coefficient of V
Q = t = av.
viscosity of a liquid is 1 decapoise if a tangential
force of 1 Nm-2 of the surface is required to
20. Equation of continuity. If there is no source or sink of
maintain a relative velocity of 1 ms-1 between two
the fluid along the length of the pipe, the mass of the
layers of the liquid 1 m apart.
fluid crossing any section of the pipe per second is
1 poisuille = 1 decapoise = 1 Nsm-2 always constant.
= 1 Pa s = 10 poise.
m = a1v1ρ1 = a2v2ρ2
14. Poiseuille's formula. The volume of a liquid It is called equation of continuity. For an incompressible
flowing per second through a horizontal capillary liquid, ρ1 = ρ2, then
tube of length l, radius r under a pressure a1v1 = a2v2 or av = constant
difference p across its two ends is given by Thus during the streamlined flow of a non-viscous and
V 𝜋𝑝𝑟 4
Q= t = 8𝜂𝑙
incompressible fluid through a pipe of varying cross-
section, the product of area of cross-section and the
15. Stokes' law. It states that the backward dragging normal fluid velocity remains constant throughout
force of viscosity acting on a spherical body of the fluid flow.
radius r moving with velocity v through a fluid of
viscosity η is 21. Bernoulli's principle. It states that the sum of
F = 6πη rv. pressure energy, kinetic energy and potential
energy per unit volume of an incompressible, non-
16. Terminal velocity. It is the maximum constant viscous fluid in a streamlined, irrotational flow
velocity attained by a spherical body while falling remains constant along a streamline. Thus
1
through a viscous medium. The terminal velocity P + 2 ρ v2 + ρ gh = constant
of a spherical body of density ρ and radius r P 1 v2
or +h+ = constant
moving through a fluid of density ρ' and viscosity ρg 2 g
P v2
η is given by The terms , h and are called pressure head,
ρg 2g
2 𝑟2
𝑣= (ρ ‐ 𝜌′ )𝑔 gravitational head and velocity head respectively.
9𝜂 For the horizontal flow of a liquid (h = constant),
Bernoulli's equation takes the form
17. Critical velocity. The critical velocity of a liquid is 1
P + 2 ρv2 = constant
that limiting value of its velocity of flow upto which 1 1
the flow is streamlined and above which the flow or P1 + 2 ρv12 = P2 + 2 ρv22 .
becomes turbulent. It is given by It indicates that velocity increases where pressure
kη decreases and vice-versa.
vc = ρD.

22. Torricelli's Law. It states that the velocity of efflux

18. Reynold's number. It is a dimensionless number i.e. the velocity with which the liquid flows out of
which determines the nature of the flow of the liquid. an orifice (a narrow hole) is equal to that which a
For a liquid of viscosity η, density ρ and flowing freely falling body would acquire in falling through
through a pipe of diameter D, Reynold's number is a vertical distance equal to the depth of orifice
given by below the free surface of liquid. Hence the velocity
p𝑣𝐷
𝑅𝑒 = of efflux of a liquid through an orifice at depth h
𝜂 from the liquid surface will be
If Re < 2000, the flow is laminar.
v = √2gh.
If Re > 3000, the flow is turbulent.
23. Venturimeter. It is a device used to measure the
If 2000 < Re < 3000, the flow is unstable. It may change
rate of flow of a liquid through a pipe. It is an
from laminar to turbulent and vice-versa.
Inertial force per unit area application of Bernoulli's principle. It is also called
Reynold s number = Viscous force per unit area flow meter or venturi tube. Volume of the liquid
flowing out per second is given by

Arvind Academy Youtube Channel Click here:https://www.youtube.com/@ArvindAcademy 2

 2h𝜌m g
Q = a1 a 2 √ 2 2 .
𝜌(a1 ‐ a2 )

24. Surface Tension. It is the property of a liquid by

virtue of which, it behaves like an elastic stretched
membrane with a tendency to contract so as to
occupy a minimum surface area. It is measured as
the force per unit length on an imaginary line
drawn on the surface of liquid.
Force F
Surface tension = Length or σ = l
Its SI unit is Nm-1 and CGS unit is dyne cm-1.

25. Surface energy. The additional potential energy per

unit area of the surface film as compared to the
molecules in the interior is called the surface energy.
Surface energy
Work done in increasing the surface area
= Increase in surface area
Surface energy of a liquid is numerically equal to surface
tension of the liquid.

26. Excess pressure inside a drop and bubble. There is

excess of pressure on the concave side of a curved
surface.
2σ
Excess pressure inside a liquid drop =
R
(One free surface)
4σ
Excess pressure inside a liquid bubble = R
(Two free surfaces)
2σ
Excess pressure inside an air bubble = R
(One free surface)
where R is radius of the liquid drop, liquid bubble or the
air bubble.

27. Ascent formula. When a capillary tube of radius r is

dipped in a liquid of density ρ and surface tension σ,
the liquid rises or falls through a distance,
2 σ cos θ
h= rρg

28. Rise of liquid in a tube of insufficient height. The

radius r of the capillary tube and radius of
curvature R of the liquid meniscus are related by
r = R cos θ. Therefore
2 σ cos θ 2σ
h = R cos θ.ρg = R ρ g
As, σ, ρ and g are constants, so
2σ
hR = ρg = a constant
If ℎ′ < ℎ, then the radius of curvature R increases to
R' such that ℎ𝑅 = ℎ′ 𝑅′. The liquid rises and
spreads out to a new radius 𝑅′ = ℎ𝑅/ℎ’. But the
liquid does not overflow.

Arvind Academy Youtube Channel Click here:https://www.youtube.com/@ArvindAcademy 3