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UNIT 2.0: HIDROSTATICS

INTRODUCTION
Fluids play an important role in everyday life. We drink them, breathe them and
swim in them. A fluid is any substance that can flow, and we use the term fluid for
both liquids and gases.
We begin our study with fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest in equilibrium. We
will explore the concept of density, pressure and buoyancy. Some examples and
exercises are given along the topic to improve your understanding on the topics
discussed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this unit are to impart student:
i.
ii.

With the basic knowledge of fluid statics.

With the concept of fluid statics in engineering course.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this unit, the students should be able to:
i.
ii.

Explain the fluid density, pressure and bouyancy concept in solving the
engineering problems.
Relates the fluid statics concept with everyday phenomenon.

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2.1

DENSITY

Density is defined as mass per unit volume. It is the important property of

any material.
If a mass, m of homogeneous material has volume, V, then the density, is;

(2.1)
The SI unit of density is the kilogram per meter cubic, kg/m 3. Two objects made
of the same material have the same density even though they may have different
masses and volumes. It is because the ratio of mass to volume is the same for
both objects. As example, the wrench and nail are both made of steel, the have
the same density. Table 2.1 shows the densities of some common substance.
Example 2.1
Find the mass and weight of the air in a classroom at 24C with a 10.0 m x 8.0 m
floor and a ceiling 3.0 m high.
Solution
Use the Eq. (2.1) to solve the problems.
mair = airVclassroom = (1.20 kg/m3)(10.0 m x 8.0 m x 3.0 m) = 288 kg
Hence the weight f the air is;
Wweight = mairg = (288 kg)(9.8 m/s2) = 2822.4 N
Table 2.1 Densities of common substance.
Gases
Density
Liquids
Density
3
(kg/m )
(kg/m3)
Helium
0.18
Oil
800
Steam
(100C)
Air (20C)
Air (0C)

16

Solids

0.60

Water

1000

Wood
(Oak)
Ice

1.20
1.29

Seawater
Blood
(20C)

1025
1060

Aluminum
Iron, Steel

Density
(kg/m3)
600-900
917
2702
7860

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Oxygen

1.43

Mercury

13,600

Copper

8920

2.1.1 Specific Gravity

The specific gravity of a material is the ratio of its density to the density of water,
water = 1000 kg/m3. For example the specific gravity of aluminum is 2.7.

(2.2)
Example 2.2
What is the specific gravity of;
(a)
(b)

Concrete.
Iron.

Density of concrete, concrete = 2 x 103 kg/m3,

Density of iron, iron = 7.8 x 103 kg/m3
Solution
Use Eq. 2.2 to solve the problem.

(a)

(b)
2.2

PRESSURE

A fluid at rest exerts a force perpendicular to any surface in contact with it, such
as a container wall or a body immersed in water as in Figure 2.1. Consider a
small surface of area, A and a normal force, FN exerted by the fluid
perpendicularly to the surface.
Pressure, P at any point is defined as the normal force per unit area.

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(2.3)
The SI unit of pressure is N/m2 or Pascal, Pa.

FN
FN
FN

Figure 2.1

Normal forces, FN acting perpendicularly to the surface of a cube in

fluid at rest.

Example 2.3
Someone steps on your toe, exerting a force of 600 N on an area of 1.0 cm 2.
What is the average pressure on that area?
Solution
Using Eq. 2.3 to solve for pressure.

2.2.1 The Effect of Gravity on Fluid Pressure

If the weight of the fluid can be neglected, the pressure in a fluid is the same
throughout its volume. We can derive a general relationship between the
pressure, P at any point in a fluid at rest and the elevation h of the point. Assume
that the density, has the same value throughout the fluid, that is the density is
uniform. If the fluid is in equilibrium, every volume element is in equilibrium.
By using the concept of density, we can find how pressure increases with depth
due gravity. Suppose a glass of beaker containing static liquid of uniform density
. Within this liquid, imagine a cylinder of liquid with cross-sectional area A and
height h as shown in Figure 2.2.
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P1A
A
h

mg P2A

Figure 2.2 (a) A cylinder of liquid of height h and area A (b) Vertical forces on
the cylinder of liquid.
The mass of the liquid in this cylinder is;
m = V
where the volume of cylinder is
V = Ah
The weight of the cylinder of liquid is
mg = (Ah)g

(2.4)

By substituting Eq. 2.4 into 2.3 we get;

(2.5)
The pressure at the top of the cylinder is P 1 and at the bottom is P2. Hence the
pressure variation with depth in a static liquid is;
P2 = P1 + gh

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(2.6)

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For a liquid that is open to the atmosphere, suppose point 1 is at the surface and
point 2 a depth h below. Then P1 = Patm so the pressure at a depth h below the
surface is
Absolute pressure, P = Patm + gh

(2.7)

Atmospheric pressure, Patm is the pressure of the earths atmosphere.

Normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1 atmosphere (atm) where,
Patm = 1 atm = 1.013 x 105 Pa
Example 2.4
What is the total downward force on the surface of a floor with area 20 m 2 due to
air pressure of 1.0 atm?
Solution
F = PA = (1.013 x 105 N/m2)(20 m2) = 2.0 x 106 N
Example 2.5
A diver swims to a depth of 5.0 m in a freshwater lake. What is the increase in
the force pushing in on his body, compared to what it was at the lake surface?
The area of the divers body is 0.83 m 2 and the density of freshwater is 1000
kg/m3.
Solution
The increase of pressure depends on the depth h and the density of water. By
using Eq. 2.5 we get;
P = gh = (1000 kg/m3)(9.8 m/s2)(5.0 m) = 49000 Pa

2.3

F = PA = (49000 Pa)(0.83 m2) = 40670 N

PASCALS LAW

Pascals principle says that a change in pressure at any point in a confined

fluid is transmitted everywhere throughout the fluid.

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For example, a truck needs to be lifted into the air by a hydraulic lift. A force is
exerted on a liquid by a piston with relatively small area, hence the resulting
increase in pressure is transmitted everywhere throughout the liquid. Then the
truck is lifted by the fluid pressure on a piston of much larger area. The upward
force on the truck is much larger than the force applied to the small piston asn
shown in Figure 2.3.

Figure 2.3 Hydraulic lift based on Pascals principle.

Let force F1 be applied to the small piston of area A1, causing pressure increase;

And the increase in the larger area A2 resulting in larger force F2,

Hence the Pascals principle is deduce as

(2.8)
Example 2.6

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In a hydraulic lift, the radii of the pistons are 3.0 cm and 10.0 cm. A car weighing
10.0 kN is to be lifted by the force of large piston. What force must be applied to
small piston?

Solution
Using Eq. 2.8,

2.4

ARCHIMEDES PRINCIPLE

When an object is immersed in a fluid, the pressure of the lower surface of the
object is higher than the pressure on the upper surface. This difference in
pressure leads to an upward net force acting on the object due to the fluid
pressure. For example, if you try to push a ball underwater, you feel the effects of
the buoyant force pushing the ball back up. The instant you let go, the ball pops
back up to the surface.
Consider a cube of solid immersed in a fluid of uniform density as in Figure 2.4.
For each vertical face; left, right, front, and back; there is a face of equal area
opposite it. The forces on these two faces due to the fluid are equal in magnitude
since the areas and the average pressure are the same. But the directions are
opposite, so the forces acting on the vertical faces cancel in pairs.
The top and bottom surfaces each have an area A. The force on the lower face of
the cube solid is F2 = P2A; and the force on the upper surface is F1 = P1A.

F1
F1
h

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FB
F2

F2

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Figure 2.4 A cube of solid object immersed in a liquid.

Thus the total force on the solid cube due to the fluid, called the buoyant force FB
is upward, since F2 > F1.
FB = F1 + F2

(2.9)

FB = (P2 P1)A

(2.10)

Since P2 P1 = gh, hence the magnitude for buoyant force can be written as,
FB = ghA = gV

(2.11)

Where V = hA is the volume of the solid cube, and V is the mass of the volume
of the fluid that the block displaces.
Thus the buoyant force on the submerged block is equal to the weight of an
equal volume of fluid displaced, and the result is called Archimedes principle.
Archimedes principle says that a fluid exert an upward buoyant force on
submerged object equal in magnitude to the weight of the volume of fluid
displaced by the object.
The net force due to gravity and buoyancy acting on an object totally or partially
immersed in a fluid is
F = mg + FB

(2.12)

The force of gravity on an object of volume Vo and average density o is

W = mg = ogVo

(2.13)

Since buoyant force FB = fgVf, and consider up as the +y-direction, the net force
due to gravity and buoyancy is (Figure 2.5)
Fy = fgVf - ogVo

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(2.14)

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mg FB

Figure 2.5 The force of gravity and buoyancy on immersed object.

As long as the object is completely submerged, the volumes of the object and
the displaced fluid are the same, thus
Fy = (f - o)gV

(2.15)

Where Vf displaced = Vo submerged.

If o < f, the object floats with only part of its volume submerged. In equilibrium,
the object displaces a volume of fluid whose weight is equal the objects weight.
At that point the gravitational force equals the buoyant force and the object floats,
Fy = 0.

fgVf = ogVo

(2.16)

Example 2.7
(a)

What is the buoyant force on 0.90 kg of ice floating freely in water?

(b)

What is the buoyant force on 0.90 kg of ice that is held completely

submerged under water?

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Solution
(a)

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the ice floating.

FB = Wice = miceg = (0.90 kg)(9.8 m/s2) = 8.8 N upward

(b)

Firstly, find the volume of ice submerged.

Since ice is totally submerged, Vice submerged = Vwater displaced

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of displaced water.

SUMMARY
1.

Density is defined as mass per unit volume. It is the important property of

any material.

2.

The specific gravity of a material is the ratio of its density to the density of
water, water = 1000 kg/m3.

3.

Pressure, P at any point is defined as the normal force per unit area.

4.

Atmospheric pressure, Patm is the pressure of the earths atmosphere.

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Patm = 1 atm = 1.013 x 105 Pa
5.

Pascals principle says that a change in pressure at any point in a

confined fluid is transmitted everywhere throughout the fluid.

6.

Archimedes principle says that a fluid exert an upward buoyant force on

submerged object equal in magnitude to the weight of the volume of fluid
displaced by the object.
FB = ghA = gV

EXERCISES
1.

It is commonly said that wood floats because it is lighter than water or

that it is heavier than water. Are these accurate statements? If not, why?

2.

Atmospheric pressure is 1.0 x 105 Pa. What is the downward force of the
air on a desktop with surface area 2.0 m 2? Why does this huge force not
crush the desk?
(Ans: 2.0 x 105 N)

3.

A 10 kg baby sits on a three-leg stool. The radius of each of the stools

round feet is 1.0 cm. Then a 60 kg adult sits on a four-leg chair that has
four circular feet, each has a diameter of 6.0 cm. Who applies the greater
pressure to the floor and by how much?
(Ans: The baby applies 2 times as much pressure as the adult)

4.

Determine the pressure on a fish 10 m under the ocean surface?

(Ans: 2.0 x 105 Pa)

5.

In a hydraulic lift, if the radius of the smaller piston is 2.0 cm and the
radius of the larger piston is 20.0 cm, what weight can the larger piston
support when a force of 250 N is applied to the smaller piston?
(Ans: 25 kN)

6.

A piece of steel cylinder has a measured mass of 86 g in air and 73 g

when immersed in water. Find its volume and its density.
(Ans: 1.3 x 10-5 m3; 6.6 x 103 kg/m3)

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7.

An aluminum cube weighs 1.03 N. When this same cube is completely

submerged in alcohol, the volume of displaced alcohol is 3.90 x 10 -5 m3. If
the cube is suspended from a dynamometer scale while submerged in the
alcohol, the scale reading is 0.73 N.
(Ans: 2695 kg/m3)

8.

A flat-bottom barge has a mass of 50 x 10 3 kg. It is 18.0 m long and 9.0 m

wide. It floats in fresh water. What is the depth of the barge below the
waterline?
(Ans: 0.3 m)

REFERENCES
1. Pre-U Text STPM: Physics Volume 1, Cheong Foon Choong, PearsonLongman, 2006.
2. College Physics. International Edition, Alan Giambattista, Betty McCarthy
Richardson and Robert C. Richardson, McGraw-Hill, 2004.
3. University Physics: With Modern Physics. 12 th Ed., Young H. D and R. A.
Freedman, Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2008.
4. Physics for Scientists & Engineers with Modern Physics. 3 rd Ed., Douglas
C. Giancoli, Prentice Hall, 2000.

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