Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics

FLUID STATICS
Hydrostatics is the study of pressures throughout a
fluid at rest and the pressure forces on finite surfaces.
As the fluid is at rest, there are no shear stresses in it.
Hence the pressure at a point on a plane surface always
acts normal to the surface, and all forces are
independent of viscosity.
The pressure variation is due only to the weight of
the fluid. As a result, the controlling laws are relatively
simple, and analysis is based on a straightforward
application of the mechanical principles of force and
moment. Solutions are exact and there is no need to
have recourse to experiment.

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MENG308 FluidFluid Mechanics
Mechanics 2 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure
Pressure is defined as a normal force exerted by a fluid
per unit area(even imaginary surfaces as in a control volume).
Units of pressure are N/m2, which is called a pascal
(Pa).
Since the unit Pa is too small for pressures encountered
in practice, kilopascal (1 kPa = 103 Pa) and megapascal
(1 MPa = 106 Pa) are commonly used. [ML-1T-2]
Other units include bar, atm, kgf/cm2, lbf/in2=psi.

ESOE 505221
MENG308 FluidFluid Mechanics
Mechanics 3 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure

1 bar = 105 Pa = 0.1 MPa = 100 kPa

1 atm = 101,325 Pa = 101.325 kPa =
1.01325 bars
1 kgf/cm2 = 9.807 N/cm2 = 9.807  104
N/m2 = 9.807  104 Pa = 0.9807 bar =
0.9679 atm
1 atm = 14.696 psi.
1 kgf/cm2 = 14.223 psi.

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Mechanics 4 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure at a Point

By considering the equilibrium of a small triangular wedge of fluid extracted

from a static fluid body, one can show that for any wedge angle θ, the
pressures on the three faces of the wedge are equal in magnitude:

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 5 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure at a Point

Pressure at any point

in a fluid is the same in
all directions.
Pressure has a
magnitude, but not a
specific direction, and
thus it is a scalar
quantity.
Proof on the
Blackboard

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Mechanics 6 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure at a Point

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Mechanics 7 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure at a Point

This result is known as Pascal's law, which states that the

pressure at a point in a fluid at rest, or in motion, is
independent of direction as long as there are no shear
stresses present.
Pressure at a point has the same magnitude in all directions,
and is called isotropic .

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Mechanics 8 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Variation of Pressure with Depth

Therefore, the hydrostatic pressure

increases linearly with depth at the
rate of the specific weight of the
fluid.

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 9 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Variation of Pressure with Depth
In the presence of a gravitational field,
pressure increases with depth because
more fluid rests on deeper layers.
To obtain a relation for the variation of
pressure with depth, consider
rectangular element
Force balance in z-direction gives
F z  maz  0
P2 x  P1x   g xz  0
Dividing by x and rearranging
gives

P  P2  P1   g z   s z
∆z is called the pressure head

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Mechanics 10 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Variation of Pressure with Depth

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 11 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Variation of Pressure with Depth
Pressure in a fluid at rest is independent of the
shape of the container.
Pressure is the same at all points on a horizontal
plane in a given fluid.

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 12 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Absolute, gage, and vacuum pressures

Actual pressure at a given point is called

the absolute pressure.
Most pressure-measuring devices are
calibrated to read zero in the atmosphere,
and therefore indicate gage pressure,
Pgage = Pabs - Patm.
Pressure below atmospheric pressure are
called vacuum pressure, Pvac=Patm - Pabs.

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Mechanics 13 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Absolute, gage, and vacuum pressures

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Mechanics 14 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Hydrostatic Pressure Difference
Between Two Points
For a fluid with constant density,
If you can draw a continuous line through the same fluid
from point 1 to point 2, then P1 = P2 if z1 = z2.

•By this rule p1 = p2 and p4 = p5

•P2 does not equal P3 even

though they are at the same
elevation, because one cannot
draw a line connecting these
points through the same fluid. In
fact, P2 is less than P3 since
mercury is denser than water.

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Mechanics 15 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Hydrostatic Pressure Difference
Between Two Points

Any free surface open to the The shape of a container does

atmosphere has atmospheric not matter in hydrostatics
pressure, p0.

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 16 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pascal’s Law
Two points at the same
elevation in a continuous fluid
at rest are at the same
pressure, called Pascal’s law,

Pressure applied to a confined

fluid increases the pressure
throughout by the same
amount.
In picture, pistons are at same
height:
F1 F2 F2 A2
P1  P2    
A1 A2 F1 A1

Ratio A2/A1 is called ideal

mechanical advantage

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Mechanics 17 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pascal’s Law

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Mechanics 18 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pascal’s Law

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Mechanics 19 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Piezometer tube
The simplest manometer is a tube,
open at the top, which is attached to a
vessel or a pipe containing liquid at a
pressure (higher than atmospheric) to
be measured. This simple device is
known as a piezometer tube.

This method can only be used for

liquids (i.e. not for gases) and only
when the liquid height is convenient to
measure. It must not be too small or
too large and pressure changes must
be detectable.

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Mechanics 20 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

U-tube manometer
This device consists of a glass tube
bent into the shape of a "U", and is
used to measure some unknown
pressure. For example, consider a U-
tube manometer that is used to
measure pressure pA in some kind of
tank or machine.

Finally, note that in many cases (such

as with air pressure being measured
by a mercury manometer), the density
of manometer fluid 2 is much greater
than that of fluid 1. In such cases, the
last term on the right is sometimes
neglected.

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Mechanics 21 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Differential manometer
A differential manometer can be used
to measure the difference in pressure
between two containers or two points
in the same system. Again, on
equating the pressures at points
labeled (2) and (3), we may get an
expression for the pressure difference
between A and B:

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 22 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Inverted U-tube Differential manometers

At datum x - x
P1  P 2
PA   A g (h1 )  PB   B g (h2 )   liquid gh

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Mechanics 23 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Inverted U-tube Differential manometers-Example

x-x
P1  P 2
PA  2 1000  9.81  19620 N/m 2

PA   A g (h1 )  PB   B g (h2 )   liquid gh

19620  1000  9.81 0.3  PB  1000  9.81 0.1  800  9.81 0.15
PB  18835 N/m 2  18.8 kN/m 2

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Mechanics 24 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Inclined-tube manometer
As shown above, the differential reading is proportional to the pressure
difference. If the pressure difference is very small, the reading may be too
small to be measured with good accuracy. To increase the sensitivity of
the differential reading, one leg of the manometer can be inclined at an
angle θ, and the differential reading is measured along the inclined tube.

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Mechanics 25 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

The Manometer An elevation change of

z in a fluid at rest
corresponds to P/g.
A device based on this is
called a manometer.
A manometer consists of
a U-tube containing one
or more fluids such as
mercury, water, alcohol,
or oil.
Heavy fluids such as
mercury are used if large
P1  P2 pressure differences are
anticipated.
P2  Patm   gh
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Mechanics 26 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Mutlifluid Manometer
For multi-fluid systems
Pressure change across a fluid
column of height h is P = gh.
Pressure increases downward,
and decreases upward.
Two points at the same
elevation in a continuous fluid
are at the same pressure.
Pressure can be determined by
adding and subtracting gh
terms.

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 27 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
Pressure Measurement and Manometers

Example:U-tube manometer
containing mercury was used to
find the negative pressure in the
pipe, containing water. The right
limb was open to the atmosphere.
Find the vacuum pressure in the
pipe, if the difference of mercury
level in the two limbs was 100
mm and height of water in the left
limb from the centre of the pipe
was found to be 40 mm below.

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Mechanics 28 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

P1  P 2
Ppipe  1 gh1   2 gh2  0

Ppipe  110 * 9.81* 0.04  13.6 10 * 9.81* 0.1  0

3 3

Ppipe  13734 N / m  13.73 KN / m

2 2

Ppipe abs.  Ppipe gauge   Ppipe atm.

Ppipe abs.  13.73  100  86.27 KN / m 2

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 29 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Measurement and Manometers

General Example
The atmospheric pressure is 755 mm of mercury
(sp. Gravity = 13.6), calculate
i) Absolute pressure of air in the tank,
ii) Pressure gauge reading at L.
P1  P 2
0  Pair   mercury g (hmercury )
Pair  13.6  103 * 9.81* 0.6  80kN / m 2
Pabs  Pair  Patm. 
Patm.  0.755 *13600 * 9.81  100.73kN / m 2
Pabs  80  103  100.73  20.73kN / m 2
PL  Pair   water gh  80  103  1000 * 9.81* 2  60.38kN / m 2

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 30 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Fluid Statics
Fluid Statics deals with problems associated
with fluids at rest.
In fluid statics, there is no relative motion
between adjacent fluid layers.
Therefore, there is no shear stress in the fluid
trying to deform it.
The only stress in fluid statics is normal stress
Normal stress is due to pressure
Variation of pressure is due only to the weight of the
fluid → fluid statics is only relevant in presence of
gravity fields.
Applications: Floating or submerged bodies,
water dams and gates, liquid storage tanks, etc.
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Mechanics 31 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Hoover Dam

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Mechanics 32 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Hoover Dam

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Mechanics 33 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Hoover Dam

Example of elevation
head z converted to
velocity head V2/2g.
We'll discuss this in
more detail in Chapter
5 (Bernoulli equation).

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Mechanics 34 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 35 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 36 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 37 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Curved Surfaces

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 38 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Hydrostatic Forces on Plane Surfaces

On a plane surface, the

hydrostatic forces form a
system of parallel forces
For many applications,
magnitude and location of
application, which is
called center of
pressure, must be
determined.
Atmospheric pressure
Patm can be neglected
when it acts on both sides
of the surface.

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 39 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Resultant Force

The magnitude of FR acting on a plane surface of a

completely submerged plate in a homogenous fluid is equal
to the product of the pressure PC at the centroid of the
surface and the area A of the surface

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 40 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Resultant Force

where PC = P0 + ρghC is the pressure at the centroid of the surface, which is

equivalent to the average pressure on the surface, and hC = yC sin ϴ is the
vertical distance of the centroid from the free surface of the liquid

ESOE 505221 Fluid Mechanics 41 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics

 Resultant Force

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 42 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Center of Pressure
Line of action of resultant force FR=PCA
does not pass through the centroid of the
surface. In general, it lies underneath
where the pressure is higher.
Vertical location of Center of Pressure is
determined by equation the moment of the
resultant force to the moment of the
distributed pressure force.

If P0 is considered

If P0 is ignored

Ixx,C is tabulated for simple geometries.

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Mechanics 43 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 The centroidal moments of inertia
for some common geometries

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Mechanics 44 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Submerged Rectangular Plate

What is the yp for case (a)?

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 45 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Submerged Rectangular Plate

What is the yp for case (a)?

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 46 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Example: Hydrostatic Force Acting on
the Door of a Submerged Car
A heavy car plunges into a lake during an
accident and lands at the bottom of the lake on
its wheels. The door is 1.2 m high and 1 m wide,
and the top edge of the door is 8 m below the
free surface of the water.
Determine the hydrostatic force on the door and
the location of the pressure center, and discuss if
the driver can open the door.

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 47 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Example: Hydrostatic Force Acting
on the Door of a Submerged Car

Discussion A strong person can lift 100 kg, whose weight is 981 N or
about 1 kN. Also, the person can apply the force at a point farthest from
the hinges (1 m farther) for maximum effect and generate a moment of 1
kN · m. The resultant hydrostatic force acts under the midpoint of the
door, and thus a distance of 0.5 m from the hinges. This generates a
moment of 50.6 kN · m, which is about 50 times the moment the driver
can possibly generate. Therefore, it is impossible for the driver to open
the door of the car. The driver’s best bet is to let some water in (by rolling
Pave = PC = ghC = g(s + b/2)= 84.4 kN/m2
the window down a little, for example) and to keep his or her head close
Fto
R
the
= P ceiling.
ave A = The
(84.4 driver
kNm2) (1 should
m  1.2 be
m) able
= to open
101.3 kN the door shortly before
the car is filled with water since at that point the pressures on both sides
yof the door are nearly the same and opening the door in water is almost
P = 8.61 m
as easy as opening it in air.

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Mechanics 48 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

Example 1

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Mechanics 49 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces
Example 2

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Mechanics 50 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces
Example 3

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Mechanics 51 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 52 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

Inclined Immersed Surface

l sin 

P  gx A

Using the same procedures as in Vertical surface

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Mechanics 53 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

P  gx A
I G sin  2
h x
xA

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Mechanics 54 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 55 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 56 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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Mechanics 57 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 Pressure Distributions-Flat Surfaces

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EGGD3109 Fluid
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Mechanics 58 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics
 In Class Assessment

ESOE 505221 Fluid Mechanics 59 Chapter 3: Pressure and Fluid Statics