Fluid Thrust

Fluids: The substances which are ready to flow under the action of an external force.
Ex: All liquids & gases.
Fluid thrust: A liquid takes the shape of the container. The liquid exerts force against the walls
of the vessel. The total normal force exerted by liquid over a surface is called fluid thrust.
Fluid pressure: Consider a fluid in a container. The fluid is at rest
and exerts an outward force on the container walls. The force
acting per unit area is known as fluid pressure.
The outward force on the small
A
area `A` is `F`. Then pressure acting
on the surface area `A` is given by

F
A

The S.I unit of pressure is pascal ( p )

a

F
A

if F 1N

A 1m2

P=1Pa
The fluid pressure at a point is said to be 1p if a force of 1N acts normally on a unit area
a

surrounding the point.

Note: Even though force is a vector, the fluid pressure is a scalar quantity because F is always
perpendicular to the surface.
The facts applicable for an ideal fluid are:
1) In a fluid at rest, the forces exerted by the fluid is always perpendicular to the
surfaces in contact with fluid.
2) The pressure at a point in a fluid at rest remains same in all directions.
3) In a fluid at rest, the net force on any volume element of the fluid is zero.
4) The pressure in a volume of fluid at rest is the same at all points at the same depth.
5) A fluid, on equilibrium in open connected containers has its open surface at the same
level.

Pressure at a point due to a liquid:

The pressure at a point depends on depth. consider a tank of cross-sectional area `A`. Let
it will be filled with a liquid of density `` upto height `h`.
The volume of the tank v= A h
Mass of liquid in the tank m = v
=Ah
The weight of the liquid in the tank W = mg
= Ah g
The pressure P exerted by the fluid on the bottom of the tank is its weight divided by its
area. So pressure is

F W Ahg

A A
A
p gh

Thus pressure at a point directly proportional to its depth h & density of liquid .
1

M.N.Sharath kumar

Pascals law: The pressure at one point of the liquid is increased,

then pressure at all other point of the liquid must also increase by
the same amount so that the pressure difference between the 2
given points is same. This is the basis of pascals law.
In an enclosed liquid, if pressure is increased in any part
of the liquid, then this change of pressure is transmitted to all
other parts of the liquid.
Ex: Hydraulic brakes, air brakes, power steering.
Hydraulic lift: This method is used to lift heavy objects such as
Pascal
automobiles. When a small force is applied over a piston of small
area of cross-section a large force appears over the piston of large area of cross-section due to
the transmission of pressure.
Archimedes principle: For a body to float on a liquid, it must be buoyed up by an upward. The
existence of such an upward force is very noticeable to us when dip our hand in water.
According to archimedes principle, when a body is totally or partially immersed in a fluid, it
experiences an up-thrust equal to the weight of fluid displaced.

Explanation of the principle:

Archimedes

Consider a liquid of volume V in a container. Since the liquid is equally

distributed, the force exerted by each particle in the
liquid on the other is same. So the liquid will be in
F
F
F
equilibrium.
F
F
Now let a solid is immersed in the liquid.
F
Then the liquid surrounding the solid acts a force F
F
F
F
on the solid with an upward force equal to the
weight `w` of the liquid it has displaced.

Flotation: When a body is immersed in a liquid completely or partially there will be apparent
loss in weight. This apparent loss is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced.
When a body is immersed in a liquid, the forces acting on it are
a) Weight of the body `W` acting vertically downward through the centre of gravity.
b) Force of buoyancy `U` acting vertically upwards through the centre of buoyancy.

Laws of flotation:
1) The body completely sinks in a liquid:
Let weight of the body W is more than the weight of
liquid displaced `U` by the body. So (WU) acts on the body
in downward direction.

2) The body may float just completely submerged in liquid:

Let the body weight W is just equal to the weight of
the liquid displaced `U` by the body. The resultant force on
the body is zero. So the body just floats.

(U W)

U=W
WU

3) The body may float with a part submerged in liquid:

Let the weight `W` of the body is less than the weight of the liquid displaced `U`
by the body. The resultant force on the body is (U-W) upward. The body rises in the
liquid until it acquires equilibrium position.

M.N.Sharath kumar