Fluids at Rest

(HYDROSTATICS)
All about forces exerted by or on stationary fluids and
how it interacts with its surroundings.

Deepshikha Ghimire
Professor of Physics
Medical University of the Americas
Email: d.ghimire@mua.edu
 Learning Objectives
At the end of this lecture, students will be able to:
• Define and apply the concepts of density and fluid
pressure to solve physical problems.
• Define and apply concepts of absolute, gauge, and
atmospheric pressures.
• State Pascal’s law and apply for input and output
pressures in hydraulic machines.
• State and apply Archimedes’ Principle to solve physical
problems.
 Fluid
• A fluid (or) liquid, which is capable of flowing.
• It has no own shape, but confirms to the
shape of the containing vessels.
• A fluid is a substance that continually deforms
under an applied shear stress. Examples:
water, milk, air, steam.
Fluids at Rest
HOT AIR
BALLOONS use
heated air, which is
less dense than the
surrounding air, to
create an upward
buoyant force.
According to Archi-
medes’ Principle,
the buoyant force is
equal to the weight
of the air displaced
by the balloon. Paul E. Tippens
 Mass Density
mass m
Density  ; 
volume V
Wood

Lead: 11,300 kg/m3

2 kg, 4000 cm3
Wood: 500 kg/m3

4000 cm3
177 cm3
Lead 45.2 kg Lead
2 kg

Same volume Same mass

Example 1: The density of steel is 7800 kg/m3. What
is the volume of a 4-kg block of steel?

4 kg
VV== 5.13
5.13 x 10 m
x 10 -4-4 33
m

What is the mass if the volume is 0.046 m3?

m
m == 359
359 kg
kg
 Relative Density
• The relative density rr of a material is the ratio of its
density to the density of water (1000 kg/m3).
x
r 
1000 kg/m 3

Examples:
Steel (7800 kg/m ))rrrr== 7.80
Steel (7800 kg/m 33
7.80
Brass
Brass (8700 kg/m ))
(8700 kg/m 33
rrrr== 8.70
8.70
Wood (500 kg/m )) rrrr== 0.500
Wood (500 kg/m 33
0.500
 Pressure
• Pressure is the ratio of a force F to the area A
over which it is applied:
Force F
Pressure  ; P
Area A
A = 2 cm2

1.5 kg

PP== 73,500 N/m

73,500 N/m
22
 The Unit of Pressure (Pascal):
• A pressure of one pascal (1 Pa) is defined as a
force of one newton (1 N) applied to an area
of one square meter (1 m2).

Pascal: 1 Pa = 1 N/m 2

• In the previous example the pressure was

73,500 N/m2. This should be expressed as:

PP== 73,500
73,500 Pa
Pa
 Fluid Pressure
• A liquid or gas cannot sustain a shearing stress - it is
only restrained by a boundary.
• Thus, it will exert a force against and perpendicular
to that boundary.

• The force F exerted by a

fluid on the walls of its
container always acts
perpendicular to the walls.
Water flow
shows  F
 Fluid Pressure
• Fluid exerts forces in many directions. Try to submerse
a rubber ball in water to see that an upward force acts
on the float.
• Fluids exert pressure in
all directions.
F
 Pressure vs. Depth in Fluid
Pressure = force/area

Substituting, Area mg

• Pressure at any point in a

Fluid Pressure: fluid is directly proportional
to the density of the fluid
P = rgh and to the depth in the fluid.
 Independence of Shape and Area.
• Water seeks its own level,
indicating that fluid pressure
is independent of area and
shape of its container.

•• At
At any
any depth
depth hh below
below the
the surface
surface ofof the
the water
water
in
in any
any column,
column, the
the pressure
pressure PPisis the
the same.
same.
The
The shape
shape and
and area
area are
are not
not factors.
factors.
 Properties of Fluid Pressure

•• The
Theforces
forcesexerted
exertedby byaafluid
fluidononthe
thewalls
wallsof
ofits
its
container
containerarearealways
alwaysperpendicular.
perpendicular.
•• The
Thefluid
fluidpressure
pressureisisdirectly
directlyproportional
proportionalto tothe
the
depth
depthof ofthe
thefluid
fluidand
andto
toits
itsdensity.
density.
•• At
Atany
anyparticular
particulardepth,
depth,the
thefluid
fluidpressure
pressureisisthe
the
same
samein inall
alldirections.
directions.
•• Fluid
Fluidpressure
pressureisisindependent
independentof ofthe
theshape
shapeor orarea
area
of
ofits
itscontainer.
container.
Example 2. A diver is located 20 m below the surface of a
lake (r = 1000 kg/m3). What is the pressure due to the
water?
• The difference in pressure
from the top of the lake to
r = 1000 kg/m3
the diver is: h
DP = rgh
h = 20 m; g = 9.8 m/s2

DP
DP== 196
196 kPa
kPa
 Atmospheric Pressure
• One way to measure atmospheric P=0
pressure is to fill a test tube with
mercury, then invert it into a bowl atm atm
h
of mercury.
Mercury
Density of Hg = 13,600 kg/m 3

Patm = rgh h = 0.760 m

Patm = (13,600 kg/m3)(9.8 m/s2)(0.760 m)

PPatm
atm
=
= 101,300
101,300 Pa
Pa
 Absolute Pressure
Absolute Pressure: The sum of the 1 atm = 101.3 kPa
pressure due to a fluid and the
pressure due to atmosphere.
DP = 196 kPa
Gauge Pressure: The difference h
between the absolute pressure and
the pressure due to the atmosphere.

Absolute
Absolute Pressure
Pressure == Gauge
Gauge Pressure
Pressure ++ 11 atm
atm

DP = 196 kPa Pabs = 196 kPa + 101.3 kPa

1 atm = 101.3 kPa PPabs = 297 kPa

abs = 297 kPa
 Pascal’s Law

Pascal’s Law: An external pressure applied

to an enclosed fluid is transmitted uniformly
throughout the volume of the liquid.

Fin Fout Aout Pressure in = Pressure out

Ain
Fin Fout

Ain Aout
Applications of Pascal’s Law in Medicine:
1. Blood Pressure Measurement (Sphygmomanometer):
When inflated, the pressure is transmitted uniformly around the
arm, compressing the artery. The doctor or nurse then releases
the pressure gradually to measure systolic and diastolic
pressure using a stethoscope.
2. Intravenous (IV) Drip and Infusions:
If the IV bag is elevated, Pascal’s Law ensures uniform pressure
distribution, helping regulate fluid flow.
3. Hydraulic hospital beds and Hydraulic operating tables
4. Pressurized Medical Devices: Ventilators and Respirators,
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers
5. Dialysis Machines: Pascal’s Law ensures even pressure
distribution during filtration.
Example 3. The smaller and larger pistons of a hydraulic
press have diameters of 4 cm and 12 cm. What input
force is required to lift a 4000 N weight with the output
piston?

Fin Fout Fout Ain

 ; Fin  Fin A Fout A
Ain Aout Aout in outt

D
R ; Area   R 2
2
(4000 N)( )(2 cm) 2
Fin 
 (6 cm) 2
Rin= 2 cm; R = 6 cm

FF == 444
444 N
N
 Archimedes’ Principle

• An object that is completely or partially submerged in

a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to
the weight of the fluid displaced.

2 lb
The buoyant force is due to
2 lb the displaced fluid. The
block material doesn’t
matter.
 Calculating Buoyant Force
• The buoyant force FB is due to
the difference of pressure DP
between the top and bottom Area FB h1
surfaces of the submerged block.
FB mg h2
P  P2  P1 ; FB  A( P2  P1 )
A
FB  A( P2  P1 )  A(  f gh2   f gh1 )
Buoyant Force:
FB (  f g ) A(h2  h1 ); V f  A(h2  h1 )
FB = rf gVf
Vf is volume of fluid displaced.
Example 4: A 2-kg brass block is attached to a string and
submerged underwater. Find the buoyant force and the
tension in the rope.(Density of brass=8700Kg/m3)
All forces are balanced:
FB + T = mg FB = rwgVw
mb mb 2 kg
b  ; Vb  
Vb b 8700 kg/m 3

Vb = Vw = 2.30 x 10-4 m3
T
Fb = (1000 kg/m3)(9.8 m/s2)(2.3 x 10-4 m3)
FB = rgV
Force
FFBB == 2.25
2.25 N
N diagram
mg
 FB + T = mg T = mg - FB
T
T = (2 kg)(9.8 m/s ) - 2.25 N
2
FB = rgV

T = 19.6 N - 2.25 N Force

diagram
mg
TT== 17.3
17.3 N
N

• This force is sometimes referred

to as the apparent weight.
 Floating objects:
• When an object floats, partially submerged, the buoyant
force exactly balances the weight of the object.

FB FB = rf gVf mx g = rxVx g
rf gVf = rxVx g

mg Floating Objects: rrff VVff == rrxxVVxx

• If Vf is volume of displaced Relative Density:

water Vwd, the relative density of  x Vwd
r  
an object x is given by:  w Vx
Example 5: A student floats in a salt lake with one-
third of his body above the surface. If the density of
his body is 970 kg/m3, what is the density of the lake
water?
Assume the student’s volume is 3 m3.
Vs = 3 m3; Vwd = 2 m3; rs = 970 kg/m3

rrww VVwdwd == rrssVVss 1/3

 s Vwd 2 m3 3 s 2/3
  ; w 
 w Vs 3 m 3
2

3  s 3(970 kg/m 3 )
w   rrww == 1460 kg/m
1460 kg/m
33
2 2
 Problem Solving Strategy
1. Draw a figure. Identify givens and what is to be
found. Use consistent units for P, V, A, and r.
2. Use absolute pressure Pabs unless problem
involves a difference of pressure DP.
3. The difference in pressure DP is determined by the
density and depth of the fluid:

m F
P2  P1   gh;  = ; P =
V A
 Problem Strategy (Cont.)
4.
4. Archimedes’
Archimedes’Principle:
Principle:AAsubmerged
submerged oror floating
floating
object
object experiences
experiences an an buoyant
buoyant force
force equal
equal toto the
the
weight
weight of
of the
the displaced
displaced fluid:
fluid:

FB m f g   f gV f

5. Remember: m, r and V refer to the displaced

fluid. The buoyant force has nothing to do with
the mass or density of the object in the fluid. (If
the object is completely submerged, then its
volume is equal to that of the fluid displaced.)
 Problem Strategy (Cont.)
6.
6. For
For aa floating
floating object,
object, FFBB isis FB
equal
equal to to the
the weight
weight of of that
that
object;
object; i.e.,
i.e., the
the weight
weight ofof the
the
object
object isis equal
equal toto the
the weight
weight mg
of
of the
the displaced
displaced fluid:
fluid:

mx g m f g or  xVx   f V f
 Summary
mass m x
Density  ;  r 
1000 kg/m 3
volume V

Force F Fluid Pressure:

Pressure  ; P P = rgh
Area A

Pascal:
1 Pa = 1 N/m 2
 Summary (Cont.)

Pascal’s Fin Fout


Law: Ain Aout

Archimedes’ Buoyant Force:

Principle: FB = rf gVf