Unit II

Fluid Statics
Introduction

3/21/2021 Lecturer: Howard F. Kesselly 1

Objectives
• After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
• Determine the pressure at various locations in a fluid at rest.
• Explain the concept of manometers and apply appropriate equations to
determine pressures.
• Calculate the hydrostatic pressure force on a plane or curved submerged
surface.

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 Introduction
• Fluids can exert both normal and shear forces on
their surfaces of contact.
• If the fluid is at rest relative to the surface, no
shearing effect on the surface.
• The only force the fluid exerts is a normal force
called pressure.
• Pressure – is the perpendicular (normal) force Some units of pressure
exerted by a fluid per unit area.

• If the surface has a finite area and the pressure

uniformly distributed over this area.
𝐹
• 𝑝𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
𝐴
• Pressure can have units of pascals Pa (N/m2), psf
(lb/ft2), or psi (lb/in2).
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 Absolute and Gage Pressure
• Zero absolute pressure Is when air Is removed and a vacuum would exist
and the pressure within the container would be zero.
• Absolute pressure, 𝑝𝑎𝑏𝑠 is any pressure that Is measured above the zero
absolute pressure.
• Atmospheric Pressure: the atmospheric air exerts a normal pressure upon
all surfaces with which it is in contact.
• Standard atmospheric pressure, 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑚 101.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 𝑜𝑟 14.70 𝑝𝑠𝑖 pressure: is
the atmospheric pressure that is measured at sea level (above absolute
zero) and at a temperature of 15℃ (59℉).
The local atmospheric pressure may be a little lower than these values if the place is under
question is higher than sea level, higher values if the place is lower than sea level , due to the
corresponding decrease or increase of the column of air standing, respectively.
• Gage pressure, 𝑝𝑔 : any pressure measured above or below the atmospheric
pressure.
• 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑚 and 𝑝𝑔 are related by
• 𝑝𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑚 + 𝑝𝑔
• Gage pressure can either be positive or negative.
• For example, if
• 𝑝𝑎𝑏𝑠 = 301.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 or 51.3 kPa, then
• 𝑝𝑔 = 301.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 − 101.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 = 200 𝑘𝑃𝑎 ( positive gage pressure )
• 𝑝𝑔 = 51.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 − 101.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 = −50 𝑘𝑃𝑎 ( negative gage pressure )
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Pressure At A Point (Pascal’s Law)
• Pascal’s Law: the intensity of the pressure
acting at a point in a fluid at rest is the same
in all directions.
• How the pressure at a point varies with the
orientation of the plane passing through the
point?
• Assumptions: no shearing stresses (the fluid is at
rest or moving with constant velocity).
• The only forces acting on its free-body
diagram are due to pressure and gravity.
• For simplicity, only z and y directions are
considered using the equation of motion
(𝑭 = 𝒎𝒂).
• 𝑝𝑠 , 𝑝𝑦 , 𝑝𝑧 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
• 𝜌 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛾 (𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦) Taking limit as 𝛿𝑥 , 𝛿𝑦 , 𝛿𝑧 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜, 𝑏/𝑐
• 𝑎𝑦 , 𝑎𝑧 (𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠)
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 Static Pressure Variation
• Pressure variation within a static fluid is due to the weight of the fluid.
• We consider small, slender horizontal and vertical fluid elements having cross-
sectional areas ∆𝐴, and lengths of ∆y and ∆z.
• ∆𝑽 = ∆𝑨∆𝒛
• The gradient (pressure force acting on ∆𝑨) or change in pressure from one side
of each element to its opposite side is assumed to increase in the positive y
and z directions, and is expressed as
𝝏𝒑 𝝏𝒑
• ( )∆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 ( )∆𝒛 , applying force equilibrium to the horizontal element, gives
𝝏𝒚 𝝏𝒛
𝝏𝒑
• 𝑭𝒚 = 𝟎 𝒑 ∆𝑨 − (𝒑 + 𝝏𝒚 ∆𝒚)∆𝑨 = 𝟎
• 𝝏𝒑 = 𝟎 (𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑥 − 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)
• It indicates that pressure remains constant in the horizontal plane.
𝝏𝒑
• 𝑭𝒛 = 𝟎 𝒑 ∆𝑨 − (𝒑 + ∆𝒛)∆𝑨 − 𝜸 ∆𝑨∆𝒛 = 𝟎
𝝏𝒚
• 𝒅𝒑 = −𝜸𝒅𝒛
• The negative(-) sign indicates that the pressure will decrease as one moves upwards in
the fluid, positive z direction.
𝒅𝒑
• = −𝜸 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝜸 = 𝝆𝒈
𝒅𝒛
• Hydrostatic law: states that the rate of increase of pressure in a vertical direction is
equal to weight density or specific weight of the fluid at that point.
• The results apply to both incompressible and compressible fluids.

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For the hydraulic jack shown, find the load lifted by the large piston when a force of
400 N is applied on the small piston. Assume the specific weight of the liquid in the
jack is 9810 N/m3(specific weight).

3/21/2021 Lecturer: Howard F. Kesselly 7

Pressure Variation for Incompressible Fluids
• For incompressible fluids:
• 𝜸 = 𝝆𝒈
• 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒.
• We can integrate vertically from reference level
𝑧 = 𝑧0 , 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑝 = 𝑝0 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙.
• 𝒅𝒑 = −𝜸𝒅𝒛
𝒑 𝒛
• 𝒑 𝒅𝒑 = −𝜸 𝒛𝟎
𝒅𝒛
𝟎
• 𝒑 = 𝒑𝟎 + 𝜸(𝒛𝟎 − 𝒛)
• For convenience, the reference level is usually
established at the free surface of the liquid, 𝑧0 −
𝑧, z-axis is directed positive downward.
• If so, then pressure at a distance ℎ below the
surface becomes
• 𝒑 = 𝒑𝟎 + 𝜸𝒉
• If pressure at surface is 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑚 = 𝑝0 = 0 ,
• 𝒑 = 𝜸𝒉 Pressure increases with depth
• (𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑) 𝑝 = 𝛾ℎ
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• Pressure Head:
• 𝒑 = 𝜸𝒉,
• 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ, 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑.
𝒑
• 𝒉=
𝜸

• The pressure head indicates the height of a

column of liquid that produces the (gage)
pressure 𝑝.
• The pressure head for water (𝛾𝑤 = 9.81𝑘𝑁/
𝑚3 ) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑦 (𝛾𝐻𝑔
When 𝑝𝑔 is 50 𝑘𝑃𝑎
3
= 133𝑘𝑁/𝑚 ) 𝑎𝑟𝑒,
𝑝 50 103 𝑁/𝑚2
• ℎ𝑤 = = = 5.10 𝑚
𝛾𝑤 9.81 103 𝑁/𝑚3
𝑝 50 103 𝑁/𝑚2
• ℎ𝐻𝑔 = = 3 3 = 0.376 𝑚
𝛾𝐻𝑔 133 10 𝑁/𝑚
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 Pressure Variation for Compressible Fluids
• For compressible fluid:
• 𝜸 = 𝝆𝒈 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒.
• We integrate 𝑑𝑝 = −𝛾𝑑𝑧.
• But 𝒑 = 𝝆𝑹𝑻, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝛾 = 𝜌𝑔
𝒑𝒈
• 𝜸 = , then
𝑹𝑻
𝒑𝒈
• 𝒅𝒑 = −𝜸𝒅𝒛 = − 𝒅𝒛
𝑹𝑻
𝒅𝒑 𝒈
• =− 𝒅𝒛 (𝒑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑻 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝒑 𝑹𝑻
𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒).
• For constant temperature:(𝑇 = 𝑇0 , 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙)
• Assuming at reference level 𝑧 = 𝑧0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒑 = 𝒑𝟎 .
𝒑 𝒅𝒑 𝒛 𝒈
• 𝒑𝟎 𝒑
= − 𝒛𝟎 𝑹𝑻𝟎
𝒅𝒛
𝒑 𝒈
• 𝒍𝒏 𝒑 = − 𝑹𝑻 (𝒛 − 𝒛𝟎 )
𝟎 𝟎
𝐠
−( )(𝐳−𝐳𝟎 )
• 𝐩 = 𝐩𝟎 𝐞 𝐑𝐓𝟎

• This equation is used to calculate the pressure within the lowest region
of the stratosphere (11.0 km-20.1 km). The temperature is practically
constant
3/21/2021 (-56.5℃ or 216.5 K) in this region. Lecturer: Howard F. Kesselly 10
The tank and drainpipe in the figure are filled with gasoline and glycerin to
the depths shown. Determine the pressure on the drain plug at C. report the
𝑙𝑏
answer as a pressure head in feet of water. Take 𝛾𝑔𝑎 = 45.3 3 , 𝛾𝑔𝑙 =
𝑓𝑡
𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏
78.7 3 and 𝛾𝑤 = 62.4 3 .
𝑓𝑡 𝑓𝑡
Solution:

The pressure head, in feet of water at C,

The tank would have to be filled with water to this depth (5.24 ft) to create the
same pressure at C caused by both the gasoline and glycerin.

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As shown figure for the U. S. standard atmosphere, the troposphere extends to an altitude
of 11 km where the pressure is 22.6 kPa (abs). In the next layer, called the stratosphere, the
temperature remains constant at -56.5 ℃. determine the pressure and density in this layer
at an altitude of 15 km. assume g = 9.77 m/𝑠 2 in yours calculations.

3/21/2021 Lecturer: Howard F. Kesselly 12