VISUAL PHYSICS

School of Physics
University of SydneyAustralia
gold rgold = m1 / V1 = m2 / V2 gold
m1 V1 m2 V2

r V r m

m=rV V=m/r
pressure !!!
F

A
Gauge and absolute pressures
Pressure gauges measure the pressure above and below
atmospheric (or barometric) pressure.

Patm = P0 = 1 atm = 101.3 kPa = 1013 hPa = 1013 millibars =

760 torr = 760 mmHg
Gauge pressure Pg 200
Absolute pressure P 100 300

0 400
P = Pg + Patm
 200

100 300

0 400
Impact of a molecule on the wall of the
container exerts a force on the wall and
the wall exerts a force on the molecule.
Many impacts occur each second and
the total average force per unit area is
called the pressure.
The pressure in a fluid can be defined
as the ratio of the force exerted by the
fluid to the area over which it is
exerted. To get the pressure at a point
you need to take the limit as this area
approaches zero. Because of the weak
cohesive forces between the molecules
of the fluid, the only force that can be
applied by the fluid on a submerged
object is one that tends to compress it.
This means the force of the fluid acts
perpendicular to the surface of the
object at any point.
p0 pressure acting at on surface

Weight of
h column
of liquid
F
A
Liquid – uniform density r
ph ph

p0’

p p
0 0

(0,0) (0,0)
h h
Linear relationship between pressure and depth.
If the pressure at the surface increases then the pressure at
a depth h also increases by the same amount.
 h

The pressure exerted by a static fluid depends only upon the depth of
the fluid, the density of the fluid, and the acceleration of gravity

ph = p0 + r g h

Static pressure does not depend upon mass or surface area of liquid
and the shape of container due to pressure exerted by walls.
convergence divergence

divergence convergence
HIGH - more uniform LOW - less uniform
conditions - inhibits cloud conditions - encourages cloud
formation formation

sunshine
Cloudy / rain

sunshine
?
 D

A
B C
 A

h
patm patm

B C

r
 F1 F2

h1

oil

h2

A1 A2
A sharp blow to the front of an eyeball will produce a higher pressure which is
transmitted to the opposite side
Another example is the pressure exerted by a growing tumour. This
increased pressure is transmitted down the spinal column via the
cerebrospinal fluid, and may be detected lower in the spinal cavity
which is less invasive than trying to detect it in the brain itself.

tumor

Increased
pressure
transmitted down
spinal cord
Partially submerged floating
Floating: partially submerged

Weight of object < weight of fluid

that can be displaced by object

Volume of displaced water <

volume of object

Weight of liquid displaced by

partially submerged object =
weight of object
Water
displaced
Floating: fully submerged

Weight of object = weight of fluid

displaced by object
Water
Volume of displaced water = displaced
volume of object
Static equilibrium

Some fish can remain at a fixed depth Submarines take on or discharge

without moving by storing gas in their water into their ballast tanks to
bladder. rise or dive
Sinks

Weight of object > weight of fluid

displaced by object
Water
Volume of displaced water = displaced
volume of object
A steel ship can encompass a great deal of empty
space and so have a large volume and a relatively
small density.

Volume of water displaced

Weight of ship = weight of water displaced

 The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the water displaced, not
the water actually present. The missing water that would have filled
the volume of the ship below the waterline is the displaced fluid.

Volume of water displaced. This

volume is not necessarily the
volume present.

Weight of ship = weight of water displaced

FLOATING: weight of
object = buoyant force
F +
B

F
G
Object partially submerged Object fully submerged
top
bottom A bottom top

h ro A
h

rF w ro
rF
 oil
?
water
 Flift + FB

m a=0

FG

Flift + FB = FG
Cohesion: attractive forces between “like” molecules

Surface of any liquid

behaves as though it is
covered by a stretched
membrane Net force on molecule
at surface is into bulk of the liquid
F
T

SF
SF = 0
pull up on surface push down on surface

restoring forces
Which shape corresponds to a soap bubble?

Surface of a liquid acts like an elastic skin 

minimum surface potential energy 
minimum surface area for given volume
 FLOATING NEEDLE
Not a buoyancy phenomena FT

FT = 2 T L Equilibrium
FT = FG

F
Length of needle, L G

Coefficient of
surface tension T
Surface tension acts along
length of needle on both sides
 k = 0.70 N.m-1

x = 3410-3 m Fspring = Fe = k x

ring
radius of ring
R = 2010-3 m
FT + FG
mass of ring
m = 7.0 10-4 kg
 FLOATING NEEDLE
Not a buoyancy phenomena FT

FT = 2 T L Equilibrium
FT = FG

F
Length of needle, L G

Coefficient of
surface tension, T
Surface tension acts along
length of needle on both sides
Why can an insect walk on water?

FT
q FT cosq

Surface tension force acts

around the surface of the leg
FG q FT = T L = 2 p R T

For one leg

FG = mg / 6
 Flow of a viscous fluid plate moving with speed v

vz = v
high speed
Z

linear velocity
X L gradient
vz = (d / L) v
d
low speed vz = (v / L) d

stationary wall vz = 0
Flow of a viscous newtonain fluid through a pipe
Velocity Profile

Cohesive forces
between molecules 
layers of fluid slide past
each other generating
frictional forces 
Parabolic velocity
energy dissipated (like
profile
rubbing hands together)

Adhesive forces between fluid and surface  fluid

stationary at surface
Poiseuille’s Law: laminar flow of a newtonian fluid through a pipe

Q = dV = Dp p R4
dt 8hL
p1 > p2 pressure
drop along pipe 
energy dissipated
volume flow rate Q = dV/dt
(thermal) by friction
parabolic between streamlines
velocity profile moving past each
other
Dp = p1 - p2

2R p1 h p2

Q = dV/dt
L
 streamlines

Streamlines for
fluid passing an
obstacle

v
Velocity of particle
- tangent to streamline
Velocity profile for the laminar flow of
a non viscous liquid
A1
A2

r r

v2

v1
 A1 A1
A2

v2 v1
v1
Low speed high speed Low speed
Low KE high KE Low KE
High pressure low pressure High pressure
Y Dx2 p2

m A2
v2
X

time 2
r
p1 Dx1
y2
A1 m
v1

y1 time 1
 force

high speed
low pressure

force
 high velocity flow

high low pressure velocity increased

pressure decreased
pressure
(patm)
 5 slow flow
(streamlines
further apart)
high pressure
1

Same speed
and pressure
across river

faster flow
(streamlines
closer together)
low pressure
 p large p large

p small

v small v large v small

 artery

Flow speeds up at External forces causes

constriction artery to collapse
Pressure is lower
Internal force acting on
artery wall is reduced
 (1) Point on surface of liquid

y1

v2 = ? m.s-
1

y2
(2) Point just outside hole
(1)

(2)

v1 = rF
?

rm
 C

A yC

B yA

yB
D
Ideal fluid

Real fluid
 head
arm arm

lung
lung
heart
trunk
leg
leg
Floating ball
 Resultant
FR
Lift FL
C

A B

drag D
FD
 Drag force due
to pressure difference
low pressure region

rotational KE of eddies 
heating effect  increase in
internal energy 
temperature increases

motion of air

high pressure region motion of object

 Drag force due
to pressure difference
low pressure region

rotational KE of eddies 
heating effect  increase in
internal energy 
temperature increases

NO CURVE
Drag force is
opposte to the
high pressure region direction of motion
Tear drop shape for streamlining
v v

vT vT

t t

Object falling from rest Object thrown

down with initial
speed v0 > vT
 Drag force due
to pressure difference
flow speed (high) vair + v
 reduced pressure

v
vair (vball) MAGNUS EFFECT

v flow speed (low) vair - v

 increased pressure

Boundary layer – air

sticks to ball (viscosity)
high pressure region – air dragged around
low pressure region with ball
 The trajectory of a
golf ball is not
parabolic

Golf ball with backspin (rotating CW) with air stream going from
left to right. Note that the air stream is deflected downward with a
downward force. The reaction force on the ball is upward. This
gives the longer hang time and hence distance carried.
lift
 Direction plane is moving w.r.t. the air

Direction air is moving w.r.t. plane

low
pressure lift
q
low pressure drag
attack angle
high
momentum transfer pressure downwash
huge vortices