Chapter 3

Fluid Statics

Md. Abdullah-Al-Mamun
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering
Sultan Qaboos University
Sultanate of Oman
Email: aalmamun@squ.edu.om
Alternate Webpage: http://ahmadsana.tripod.com

Significant learning outcomes

Conceptual Knowledge
Describe pressure and pressure distribution.
Describe gage, absolute, and vacuum pressure.
List the steps used to derive the hydrostatic differential equation.

Procedural Knowledge
Apply the hydrostatic equation and the manometer equations to predict
pressure.
Apply the panel equations to predict forces and moments.
Apply the buoyancy equation to predict forces.

Applications (typical)
For applications involving the atmosphere, the ocean, manometers, and
hydraulic machines, find pressure values and distributions.
For structures and components subjected to hydrostatic loading, find
forces and moments.

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Particle settling behavior

Vs
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3.1 Pressure
A normal force exerted by a fluid per unit area is called
fluid pressure.

p lim A0

1
1
1
1

Fnormal
A

dFnormal

dA

Units
Pa = 1 N/m2
bar = 105 Pa = 100 kPa
atm= 101.325 kPa= 1.01325 bar
kgf/cm2= 9.807 N/cm2=98.07 kPa=0.9807 bar

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Absolute pressure, gage pressure and

vacuum pressure

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Hydraulic machines
Pascals law: Pressure applied to an enclosed and continuous
body of fluid is transmitted undiminished to every portion of
that fluid and to the walls of the containing vessel. [Same
pressure will be transmitted only at the same elevation of the
containing fluid and the pressure will change at different
elevation of the containing fluid]

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F1

Equation of Mechanical advantages for hydraulic machine: P= F1/A1 = F2 /A2 [pressure

Will be same only the same elevation from the datum]
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3.2 Pressure variation with elevation

Hydrostatic
differential
equation

F 0
l

Datum

Fpressure Fweight 0

pA ( p p)A Al sin 0
p
p
z

sin
sin

l
z
l

p
dp
lim z 0


z
dz
Hydrostatic differential equation shows the change of pressure correspond to
change in elevation. The magnitude of the rate of change of pressure along the
vertical direction is equal to the unit weight of fluid.

Hydrostatic equation
dp
integratin g
dz
p z constant

p z constant p z piezometric pressure

p1 z1 p2 z 2
p1

z1

p2

z 2 h piezometric head

ha hb hc
hd he h f
hc hd
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3.3 Pressure measurements

Barometer: an instrument to measure
atmospheric pressure

patm Hg h pv, Hg Hg h

Bourdon-Tube gage: an instrument to

measure pressure by sensing the
deflection of a coiled tube.

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Piezometer: a vertical tube in which a liquid rises

in response to a positive gage pressure.

Manometer: a U shaped tube to measure

pressure by the column of a liquid.

p3 p2
p3 p4 l
p2 m h p1
p4 p1 m h l
General equation for pressure in Manometer

p2 p1 i hi i hi
down

up

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Air density is negligible

From manometer equation

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Change in piezometric head for pipe flow:

p2 p1 i hi i hi
down

up

p2 p1 A y h

B h A y z2 z1

p1 A z1 p2 A z2 h B A
p1
p2

B
z1 z2 h 1
A
A

B
h1 h2 h 1
A
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Pressure transducer: a device that converts

pressure to an electrical signal.

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3.4 Forces on Plane Surfaces submerged in fluid

Magnitude of resultant hydrostatic force

p y sin
dF pdA
F pdA
A

( y sin ) dA
A

sin ydA
A

F sin yA sin y A pA
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The magnitude of the resultant force acting in perpendicular

direction on a completely submerged plane in a homogeneous
fluid is equal to the product of the pressure at the centroid of
the surface and the area of the surface.
Resultant hydrostatic force = Pressure acting on centroid of surface
x Area of surface
Line of action of resultant force

ycp F yp dA sin y 2 dA sin I 0

A

ycp F sin I y 2 A

ycp y sin sin I y 2 A

I0 I y A
2

I
ycp y
yA
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Summary for calculation:

Tangential location of the centroid of the surface_=
Vertical location of the centroid of the surface z = sin
_
_
Pressure acting at the centroid of the surface p = z
_
Resultant force acting on the surface F = p A

I
y

Tangential location of the force cp

yA
_
0
When = 90 , = z
F

_
p

ycp

c. surface
c. pressure

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24

Problem 3.57:

25

 = 0.5

I = 3.13 /12 =0.25

0.25/(0.5 x 3) = 1/6
ycp = 1/6+1/2 = 2/3
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3.5 Forces on Curved Surfaces submerged in fluid

Fx FAC
Fy FCB W
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Example 3.11:

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Hydrostatic force in a pressure

vessel

F pi AAC W pi AAC
As the specific weight of gas is quite small

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F= VABCD =W
If the curved surface is below
the liquid, the weight of the
liquid and vertical component
of the hydrostatic force act in
same directions.

F Vabcd W
If the curved surface is above the
liquid, the weight of the liquid and
vertical
component
of
the
hydrostatic force act in opposite
directions.
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3.6 Buoyancy
Archimedes
Principle:
The
buoyant force acting
on an immersed body
in a fluid is equal to
the weight of the fluid
displaced
by
the
body, and it acts
upwards through the
centroid
of
the
displaced volume.

Submerged bodies

FB Fup Fdown VEADCF VEABCF

Vb
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Floating bodies

FB Fup VD

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Hydrometer

Cross sectional area of hydrometer, A

A device to measure specific gravity of a fluid.

When hydrometer is immersed in
pure water

Whydrometer FB,w w Az 0
When hydrometer is immersed in
another fluid

Whydrometer FB, f f A( z0 z )

z0
Sf
z0 z

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Example 3.12:

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Stability of Immersed and Floating Bodies

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Stability of Immersed Bodies

(a) Stable

(b) Neutrally Stable

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(c) Unstable

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Stability of floating Bodies

x V xi Vi

x CC

xi Vi , AOB xi Vi , EOD

xdV xdV
AOB

EOD

2
x
tan dA

2
x
tan dA

AOB

EOD

tan

2
x
dA I 00 tan
A, waterline

I 00 tan
I 00
x CC
CM tan CM
V
V

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Metacentric height, GM

GM CM CG
I 00

CG
V
If metacentric height is positive, the floating body is stable,
if it is negative, the body is unstable.

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