KIRINYAGA UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES

COURSE CODE : SPM 2324

COURSE TITLE: FLUID MECHANICS I

LECTURER: ANTHONY KINYANJUI

MODULE 01: PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF THE FLUID

OBJECTIVE:

AT THE END OF LECTURE, A STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO DEFINE

THE DIFFERENT TECHNOCAL TERMS USED IN FLUID

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PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF THE FLUID

CONCEPT OF FLUIDS

The matter is usually divided into two classes, namely, the fluids and the solids. If
a portion of matter, under given thermodynamic conditions and in the absence of
external forces, has a definite shape, it is called a solid; and if takes the shape of
the container, it is called a fluid. In other words, we say that in solids the different
volume elements (An arbitrary small portion of a matter will be called a volume
element or simply an element or a particle of the matter) have definite relative
position and these elements change their relative position only when some external
force is applied. In fluids the different elements can change their position even
without any external force.

Another criterion for the classification of the matter between solids and fluids is
based on the deformation of the matter. Deformation: we say that a portion of
matter undergoes deformation if in general the distance between any two
neighboring particles changes. This criterion says that in solids, when some
external forces is applied, it is the deformation which is important i.e. there is a
relationship between the external force and the formation caused in the matter;
while in fluids, it is the rate of deformation which is important and not the
deformation, i.e. there is a relationship between the external force and the rate of
deformation caused in matter.

We shall say that a portion of matter is a solid if it undergoes deformation when

subjected to external force for a long time and in fluid if it undergoes deformation
continuously when subjected to external force, however small it may be.
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Sometimes fluids are further subdivided into three categories; namely liquids,
gases and plasmas.

The liquids have definite volume which undergoes slightly deformation when
subjected to external forces or temperature differences. In gas, the volume of a gas
changes significantly when subjected to external forces or a temperature difference
or change in pressure, and so it does not have definite volume. Plasma, sometimes
called the fourth state of matter where the molecules are ionized fully or partially.
The plasma is characterized by an ionized state of matter, it may be present even in
liquids (for example, electrolytes) or in solids (the collection of free electrons in a
solid).Thus there is a distinction between plasmas and gases.

CONTINUUM HYPOTHESIS

When we consider the fluid to consist of discrete molecules moving randomly, the
mathematical tools, such calculus becomes inapplicable and thus increases the
complexity of the problem. To avoid this difficulty we consider fluid to be
continuously distributed in a given space. Thus a fluid element can be subdivided
indefinitively. This assumption is called the continuum hypothesis.

For the validity of continuum hypothesis, we have two criteria

1. The mean distance between two consecutive collisions for the molecules,
called the mean free path. If the mean free path is much less than the
characteristic dimensions of the problem, then the distance between the
molecules can be neglected and the fluid can be taken to be continuously
distributed in the given space.

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 2. The average time taken between two consecutive collisions. The average
time taken by the molecules between consecutive collisions is much less
than the characteristic time of observation and thus the phenomenon
occurring in the fluid can be taken due to a continuous distribution of the
matter.

ISOTROPY

A fluid is said to be isotropic with respect to some properties (pressure, density etc)
if that property is the same in all directions at that point. A fluid is said to be
anisotropic with respect to a property if that property is not the same in all
directions.

SOME BASIC PROTERTIES OF THE FLUID

1. Density
The density of the fluid is defined as the mass per unit volume.
Mathematically, the density𝜌 at a point P may be defined as
𝛿𝑚
𝜌 = lim Where 𝛿𝑣 is the volume element around P and 𝛿𝑚 is the
𝛿𝑣→0 𝛿𝑣

mass of the fluid within 𝛿𝑣.

2. The specific weight
The specific weight of a fluid is defined as the weight per unit volume. Thus
𝛾 = 𝜌𝑔 where g is the acceleration due to gravity. More precisely and
mathematically, if we take a point P in the space with a volume element 𝛿𝑣
around it and suppose 𝛿𝐹 is the magnitude of the gravity force acting on this
volume element , then the specific weight at the point P is defined as
𝛿𝐹
𝛾 = lim
𝛿𝑣→0 𝛿𝑣

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3. The specific volume
The specific volume of a fluid is defined as the volume per unit mass and is
clearly the reciprocal of density.
4. Pressure
When a fluid is contained in a vessel, it exerts a force at each point of the
inner side of the vessel. Such a force per unit area is known as pressure.
Mathematically, the pressure P at any point P may be defined as
𝛿𝐹
𝑃 = lim Where 𝛿𝑠 is an elementary area around P and 𝛿𝐹 is the normal
𝛿𝑠→0 𝛿𝑠

force due to a fluid on 𝛿𝑠.

5. Compressibility and Bulk Modulus
The compressibility of a fluid is defined as the variation of its density, with
variation of pressure.
Mathematically:
𝑑𝜌 𝑑𝜌
𝑑𝑝 ∝ 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑝 = 𝑘 Where k is called the bulk modulus of the fluid.
𝜌 𝜌

Gases are compressible and their density changes readily with temperature
and pressure. Liquids, on the other hand, are rather difficult to compress and
for most problems we can treat them incompressible. Only in such situations
as sound propagation in liquids does one need to consider their
compressibility.
A fluid is said to be compressible if it requires a large variation in pressure
to produce some appreciable variation in density. The remaining fluids are
said to be incompressible.
6. Thermal conductivity
The well known Fourier’s heat conduction law states that the conductive
heat flow per unit area (or heat flux) is proportional to the temperature

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 decrease per unit distance in a direction normal to the area through which the
heat is flowing.

Thus mathematically:

𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇
𝑞𝑛 ∝ − 𝑠𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑞𝑛 = −𝑘 Where k is said to be the thermal conductivity
𝜕𝑛 𝜕𝑛

7. Specific heat
The specific heat C of a fluid is defined as the amount of heat required to
raise the temperature of a unit mass of the fluid by one degree. The specific
heat at constant volume is defined as
𝜕𝑄
𝐶𝑣 = ( ) Where 𝜕𝑄 is the amount of heat added to raise the
𝜕𝑇 𝑣

temperature by 𝜕𝑇.
And specific heat at constant pressure
𝜕𝑄
𝐶𝑝 = ( )
𝜕𝑇 𝑝

𝐶𝑝
The ratio of specific heats is denoted by 𝛾. Thus 𝛾 =
𝐶𝑣

8. Viscous (or real) and Inviscid ( non-viscous, frictionless,

perfect or ideal ) fluids
Viscosity: An infinitesimal fluid element is acted upon two types of forces,
namely body forces and surface forces. The former is a type force which is
proportional to the mass ( or possible to the volume) of the body on which it
acts while the latter is one which acts on the surface element and is
proportional to the surface area.

Suppose that the fluid element be enclosed by the surface S. Let P be an

arbitrary point of S and let dS be the surface element around P. Then the
surface force on dS is, in general not in the direction of normal at P to dS.

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 Hence the force may be resolved into components, one normal and the
tangential to the area dS. The normal force per unit area is said to be normal
stress or pressure while the tangential force per unit area is said to be the
shearing stress.
A fluid is said to be viscous when the normal as well as shearing stresses
exist. On the other hand, a fluid is said to be inviscid when it does not exert
any shearing stress, whether at rest or in motion. Due to the shearing stress a
viscous fluid produces resistance to the body moving through it as well as
between the particles of the fluid itself. Water and air are treated inviscid
fluids whereas syrup and heavy oil are treated as viscous fluids.
Mathematically
𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑢
𝐹∝ 𝑜𝑟 𝐹 = 𝜇 Where 𝜇 is called the coefficient of viscosity. F is the
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑢
tangential force and is the velocity gradient.
𝑑𝑦

9. Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids

The fluids that obey Newton’s law of viscosity are known as Newtonian
fluid, for example water and air. Viscous fluids such as tar and polymers do
not obey Newton’s law of viscosity and the relation between shear stress and
rate of shear strain in non-linear. Such fluids are known as non-Newtonian
fluids
10. Laminar and turbulent flows
A flow, in which each fluid particle traces out a definite curve and the curves
traced out by any two different fluid particles do not intersect, is said to be
laminar. On the other hand, a flow in which each fluid particle does not

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 trace out a definite curve and the curves traced out by fluid particles intersect
is said to be turbulent

Laminar flow Turbulent flow

11. steady and unsteady flows

A flow, in which properties and conditions (p, say) associated with the
motion of the fluid are independent of the time so that the flow pattern
𝜕𝑝
remains unchanged with time , is said to be steady. Mathematically =0
𝜕𝑡

Here p may be velocity, density, pressure, temperature etc. On the hand, a

flow in which the properties and conditions associated with the motion of
the fluid depend on the time so that the flow pattern varies with time is said
to be unsteady.
12. Uniform and non-uniform flows
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 A flow in which the fluid particles possess equal velocities at each section of
the channel or pipe is called uniform. On the other hand, a flow, in which the
fluid particles possess different velocities at each section of the channel or
pipe, is called non-uniform.
13. Rotational and irrotational flows
A flow, in which the fluid particles go on rotating about their own axes,
while flowing is said to be rotational. On the other hand, a flow in which the
fluid particles do not rotate about their own axes, while flowing is said to be
irrotational.
14. Barotropic flow
The flow is said to be barotropic when the pressure is a function of the
density.