Hydrostatics

Hydrodynamics
 Pressure p

F
F p
A
A

Pressure = force / area

SI – unit 1 N/m2 = 1 Pascal = 1 Pa

Other units: 1 bar = 100 000 Pa

1 atm = 1.013 bar
1 mmHg = 1/760 atm
Hydrostatic pressure
Example: Calculate the pressure caused by the 10 m high brick wall onto the
lowest brick layer. The density of bricks is 7.0 kg/m3.

Let the base area of the brick wall be A and

the height h. Then the weight of the wall is

h
mg =Ahg

The pressure p = mg/A = hg

= 7.0*10*9.81Pa = 700 Pa pressure p

The same calculation applies also to the pressure under water

or under some other liquid or gas.
At depth h the hydrostatic pressure due to the weight of the water (or
liquid) above is

p = hg
 Archimedes Law
Buoyancy F = Vg
In liquids and
gases the
pressure
 = density of the liquid spreads
h1 h2 uniformly to
p1=h1g all directions
A
h=h1-h2
p2=h2g

Net force upwards is called buoyancy and it is

F =p*A =(p2-p1)A = (h2-h1)Ag = Ahg = Vg

“Archimedes law”: The net force acting on a body in a liquid is the

same as the weight of the equal volume of liquid.
Determination of the density
of a solid “sinking” body

Measurements:
• Weigh the body in the air F1
• Weigh the body in the water F2

Calculations:
F1= xVg
F2= xVg - Vg = (x- )Vg
 F1-F2 = Vg
 x/ = F1/(F1-F2)
 x = F1/(F1-F2) *
Determination of the density
of a solid “floating” body

Measurements:
1) Weigh the body in the air F1
2) Fill a tube with water. Put the body carefully in the tube
and take the spilling water and weigh it F2
Calculations:
F1= xVg and F2= Vg

=> x /  = F1/F2
=> x =F1/F2* 
Determination of the density
of an unknown liquid
Needs: A body heavier than water
Measurements:
1) Weigh the body in the air F1
1) Weigh the body in water F2
2) Weigh the body in the liquid F3

Calculations: , w and x =
F1= Vg , F2= (- w)Vg, F3= (- x)Vg are the
 F1-F2 = wVg and F1-F3= xVg densities of the
body, water and
 x/ w = (F1-F2)/(F1-F3) unknown liquid
 x = (F1-F2)/(F1-F3) * w
U -tube barometer
The pressure of the air
is equal to gh , where
= 13600 kg/m3 is
the density of mercury

Example: Calculate the difference of Hg-levels , when the air

pressure is 1.01 bar.
Solution: From p = gh we get h = p/g
=101000Pa/ (13600kg/m3 *9.81 m/s2) = 0.76 m = 760 mm
Hydrodynamics
 Continuum equation
Liquid flow in a tube.

v1 v2

A1 A2

In the time interval t the same volume of liquid must pass

through both the areas A1 and A2:
A1v1 t =A2v2 t
Cancelling t we get the continuum equation

A1v1 =A2v2
 Bernoulli equation
Bernoulli equation is the energy principle applied to liquid flows
or gas flows
= density of the liquid
p1 m = mass of the liquid
h1 between the ends of the
tube
v1 
liquid flow

h2
v2
p2
mgh1 + ½ mv12 + W = mgh1 + ½ mv12 W=Fs=F/A*As
mgh1 + ½ mv12 + (p1 - p2)V = mgh1 + ½ mv12 =>W=pV
Dividing by volume:
gh1 + ½  v12 + p1 = gh2 + ½  v12 + p2
Bernoulli formula
At every point of the liquid or gas flow

p + gh + ½ v2 = constant

p = pressure at the point

gh = the hydrostatic pressure
½  v2 = the dynamic pressure
 Applications of
the Bernoulli law
Torricelli law
How to calculate the velocity of a
fluid flowing out through a hole
beneath the surface

p + gh + ½ v2 = constant

p0 applied to points A and B gives
A

p0 + gh = p0 + ½ v2
h
B
v gh = ½ v2 Torricelli law
p0
 Pitot tube
The tube measures the speed of
the liquid.

pA + ½  v2 = pB

 ½ v2 = p = gh

v = (2gh)

* simple Pitot tube

Pitot tube have been used in submarines, ships

and aeroplanes measuring speed.
Another type of Pitot tube
 The wing
B
v1 The velocity difference causes a
pressure difference and a net force
A upwards.
v2

p1 + ½  v12 = p2 + ½  v22

Pressure difference:
p = ½  v12 - ½  v22

Force:
F = (½  v12 - ½  v22)A
Venture tube
measures the the volume flow dV/dt in pipe systems

h2
h1

A1 v1 A2 v2

2p 2 gh
V  A1  A1
p1 + ½  v12 = p2 + ½  (1v 2A21 2 )
2 2
A
(1  1 2 )
A2 A2

From continuum equation A1v1 = A2v2 we get v2 = A1/A2 v1

The volume flow

Suction effect on a roof in storm

v1 = storm velocity

v2 = 0 under the roof

Pressure difference:
p = ½ v12 - ½ v22 = ½ v12

SUction force on the roof:

F = ½  v1 2 A