Fluid Mechanics - Key terms



AERODYNAMICS:

An area of fluid dynamics devoted to studying the properties and characteristics of airflow.

ARCHIMEDES'S PRINCIPLE:

A rule of physics stating that the buoyant force of an object immersed in fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. It is named after the Greek mathematician, physicist, and inventor, Archimedes (c.287-212 B.C. ), who first identified it.

BERNOULLI'S PRINCIPLE:

A proposition, credited to Swiss mathematician and physicist Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782), which maintains that slower-moving fluid exerts greater pressure than faster-moving fluid.

BUOYANCY:

The tendency of an objectimmersed in a fluid to float. This can be explained by Archimedes's principle.

COMPRESSION:

To reduce in size or volume by applying pressure.

FLUID:

Any substance, whether gas or liquid, that conforms to the shape of itscontainer.

FLUID DYNAMICS:

An area of fluid mechanics devoted to studying of the behavior of moving, or flowing, fluids. Fluid dynamics is further divided into hydrodynamics and aerodynamics.

FLUID MECHANICS:

The study of the behavior of gases and liquids at rest and in motion. The major divisions of fluid mechanics are fluid statics and fluid dynamics.

FLUID STATICS:

An area of fluid mechanics devoted to studying the behavior of stationary fluids.

HYDRODYNAMICS:

An area of fluid dynamics devoted to studying the properties and characteristics of water flow.

HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE:

The pressure that exists at any place in a body of fluid due to the weight of the fluid above.

PASCAL'S PRINCIPLE:

A statement, formulated by French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), which holds that the external pressure applied on a fluid is transmitted uniformly throughout the entire body of that fluid.

PRESSURE:

The ratio of force to surface area, when force is applied in a direction perpendicular to that surface.

TURBINE:

A machine that converts the kinetic energy (the energy of movement) in fluids to useable mechanical energy by passing the stream of fluid through a series of fixed and moving fans or blades.

WIND TUNNEL:

A chamber built for the purpose of examining the characteristics of airflow in relative motion against solid objects such as aircraft and automobiles.

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