FLUID MECHANICS

PROPERTIES OF FLUID

Density
The density of a substance is the quantity of matter
contained in a unit volume of the substance. It can be
expressed in three different ways.
Mass Density
Mass Density, , is defined as the mass of
substance per unit volume. Units: Kilograms per cubic
meter, kg / m 3 (or kg m 3 )
Specific Weight
Specific Weight , (sometimes , and sometimes
known as specific gravity) is defined as the weight per unit
volume. or The force exerted by gravity, g, upon a unit
volume of the substance.
Relative Density
Relative Density, , is defined as the ratio of
mass density of a substance to some standard mass
density. For solids and liquids this standard mass density is
the maximum mass density for water (which occurs at 4 c)
at atmospheric pressure.
Viscosity
Viscosity, , is the property of a fluid, due to
cohesion and interaction between molecules, which offers
resistance to sheer deformation. Different fluids deform at
different rates under the same shear stress. Fluid with a
high viscosity such as syrup, deforms more slowly than fluid
with a low viscosity such as water.

Coefficient of Dynamic Viscosity

The Coefficient of Dynamic Viscosity, , is
defined as the shear force, per unit area, (or shear stress
), required to drag one layer of fluid with unit velocity past
another layer a unit distance away.
Kinematic Viscosity
Kinematic Viscosity, , is defined as the
ratio of dynamic viscosity to mass density.
Cavitation
Is the formation of vapor cavities in a liquid
i.e. small liquid-free zones ("bubbles" or "voids") that are
the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid. It usually
occurs when a liquid is subjected to rapid changes
of pressure that cause the formation of cavities where the
pressure is relatively low. When subjected to higher
pressure, the voids implode and can generate an
intense shock wave.
Coefficient of Compressibility
Also known as ( bulk modulus of
Compressibility or bulk modulus of elasticity Fluids act like
elastic Fluids with respect to pressure
Vapor Pressure or ( Equilibrium vapor pressure )
Equilibrium vapor pressure is defined as
the pressure exerted
by
a vapor in thermodynamic

equilibrium with its condensed phases (solid or liquid) at a

given temperature in a closed system. The equilibrium
vapor
pressure
is
an
indication
of
a
liquid's evaporation rate. It relates to the tendency of
particles to escape from the liquid (or a solid).
Surface Tension
Is the elastic tendency of liquids that makes them
acquire the least surface area possible. Surface tension
causes insects (e.g. water striders), usually denser than
water, to float and stride on the water surface.
At liquid-air interfaces, surface tension results from the
greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due
to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due
to adhesion). The net effect is an inward force at its surface
that causes the liquid to behave as if its surface were
covered with a stretched elastic membrane.