Add Important Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law Page: 1

Notes/Cues Here Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics

Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law

Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics
NGSS Standards: N/A
MA Curriculum Frameworks (2006): N/A
Knowledge/Understanding:
 Bernoulli’s Law/Equation
Language Objectives:
 Understand and correctly use the term “flow.”
 Accurately describe and apply the concepts described in this section
using appropriate academic language.
 Set up and solve word problems using Bernoulli’s equation.
Notes:
flow: the net movement of a fluid

velocity of a fluid: the average velocity of a particle of fluid as the fluid flows
past a reference point.

When a fluid flows through a pipe, the total volume of fluid per unit of time
is equal to the velocity times the cross-sectional area (m2). If the
m3
(s) ( ms )
total flow remains the same, but the, but the diameter of the pipe changes:

then the cross-sectional area (A ) times the fluid velocity (v ) at point 1 equals
the cross-sectional area times the fluid velocity at point 2:
A 1 v1 = A 2 v 2

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Copyright © 2010–0000 Mr. Bigler.

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 Add Important Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law Page: 2
Notes/Cues Here Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics

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 Add Important Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law Page: 3
Notes/Cues Here Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics
According to the Dutch-Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli, the pressures in a
moving fluid are caused by:
 The pressure exerted by the fluid, P (This is the pressure we would
measure with a pressure gauge.)
 The hydrostatic pressure, .
ρgh
 The dynamic pressure, , which results from the force that the
1 2
ρv 2
moving fluid particles exert on the other fluid particles around them.
(Note that has units of pressure:
t

( 12 )
.) 2
m kg
τ½

( )⋅( s ) = m⋅s
A = A0

kg
112 . 4
A =( 228 ) ( 12 )
28 . 1

A =( 228 ) ( 12 )
4

=Pa
m3 2
1
A =( 228 )( )
16

A =14 . 25 g

A change in any of these pressures affects the others, which means:

64
=16
4

This equation is Bernoulli’s equation.

If the velocity and height of the fluid are changing, as in the following diagram,
then the pressure must also change as a result:

In this situation, Bernoulli’s equation becomes:

1 2 1 2
P1 + ρ gh1 + 2 ρv1 =P2 + ρ gh 2 + 2 ρv2

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 Add Important Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law Page: 4
Notes/Cues Here Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics
In Bernoulli’s equation, increasing the fluid velocity (v ) increases the
1 2
2
ρv
term. Consider the following example:

This pipe is horizontal, which means h is constant; therefore is constant.

ρgh
This means that if increases, then pressure (P ) must decrease so that
1 2
2
ρv
remains constant.
1 2
P+ ρ gh+ 2 ρv

This decrease in pressure caused by an increase in fluid velocity explains one of

the ways in which an airplane wing provides lif:

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 Add Important Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law Page: 5
Notes/Cues Here Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics
A common demonstration of Bernoulli’s Law is to blow across a piece of paper:

The air moving across the top of the paper causes a decrease in pressure, which
causes the paper to lif.

Sample Problems:
Q: A fluid in a pipe with a diameter of 0.40 m is moving with a velocity of
. If the fluid moves into a second pipe with half the diameter, what
m
0 .30 s
will the new fluid velocity be?

A: The cross-sectional area of the first pipe is:

A1 = πr 2 = (3.14)(0.20)2 = 0.126 m2
The cross-sectional area of the second pipe is:
A2 = πr 2 = (3.14)(0.10)2 = 0.0314 m2
A1v 1 = A2v 2
(0.126)(0.30) = (0.0314)v2
v2 = .
m
1. 2 s

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 Add Important Fluid Motion & Bernoulli’s Law Page: 6
Notes/Cues Here Unit: Pressure & Fluid Mechanics
Q: A fluid with a density of has a pressure of 45 000 Pa as it flows at
kg
1250
m3
through a pipe. The pipe rises to a height of 2.5 m, where it
m
1.5 s
connects to a second, smaller pipe. What is the pressure in the smaller pipe
if the fluid flows at a rate of through it?
m
3.4 s

A:
1 2 1 2
P1 + ρ gh1 + 2 ρv1 =P2 + ρ gh 2 + 2 ρv2
45 000 + (1250)(9.8)(0) + (½)(1250)(1.5)2 =
P 2 + (1250)(9.8)(2.5) + (½)(1250)(3.4)2
45 000 + 1406 = P 2 + 30 625 + 7225
46 406 = P 2 + 37 850
P 2 = 8 556 Pa = 8 600 Pa

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