Fluid mechanics
Branch of physics studying fluids and forces on them.
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Its subdiscipline fluid dynamics deals with fluid flow and provides a systematic structure for solving practical problems.[1] The mathematical complexity of fluid mechanics, which examines both stationary and moving liquids and gases, makes it a challenging research domain.[2] Numerical computation, typically executed on computers, is the preferred method for tackling the numerous unresolved or partially resolved questions in this area.[2]
Key facts and history
The study of fluid mechanics goes back to ancient Greece, when Archimedes investigated fluid statics and buoyancy and formulated Archimedes' principle.[3] Rapid advancement began with Leonardo da Vinci, Evangelista Torricelli, Isaac Newton, and Blaise Pascal.[3] Daniel Bernoulli introduced mathematical fluid dynamics in Hydrodynamica (1739), and Leonhard Euler developed equations for ideal fluid dynamics.[3] The Navier–Stokes equations are differential equations that describe force balance within a fluid.[4]
For complex cases like turbulence, solutions currently require computers, a branch called computational fluid dynamics.[5] A. H. Jameson's 1937 textbook An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics is credited with the earliest documented usage of the term "fluid mechanics".[6] The continuum assumption treats fluids as a continuous substance for analysis, despite their actual molecular composition.[7] Exact analytical solutions to these equations are limited to straightforward scenarios, such as steady, non-turbulent flow characterized by a low Reynolds number.[5]
What the cited sources add
The continuum hypothesis is detailed in a 2018 book by Greenkorn, which states that fluid properties are average values of molecular properties and can vary continuously between volume elements.[7][8] Computational fluid dynamics is devoted to the numerical approach, and particle image velocimetry is an experimental method for visualizing fluid flow.[2][9] A fluid with zero viscosity is termed inviscid; however, this is a theoretical simplification used to make the mathematics easier.[10][11] Superfluidity is the only known physical phenomenon where a purely inviscid flow occurs.[10][11]
References
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Batchelor, C. K., & Batchelor, G. K. (2000). An introduction to fluid dynamics. Cambridge University Press. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tu, "Computational Fluid Dynamics: A Practical Approach", Butterworth-Heinemann, Nov 21, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mariam Rozhanskaya and I. S. Levinova (1996), "Statics", p. 642, (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Constantin, P., & Foias, C. (1988). Navier-stokes equations. University of Chicago Press.; Temam, R. (2001). Navier-Stokes equations: theory and numerical analysis (Vol. 343). American Mathematical Society.; Foias, C., Manley, O., Rosa, R., & Temam, R. (2001). Navier-Stokes equations and turbulence (Vol. 83). Cambridge University Press.; Girault, V., & Raviart, P. A. (2012). Finite element methods for Navier-Stokes equations: theory and algorithms (Vol. 5). Springer Science & Business Media. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Anderson, J. D., & Wendt, J. (1995). Computational fluid dynamics (Vol. 206). New York: McGraw-Hill.; Chung, T. J. (2010). Computational fluid dynamics. Cambridge University Press.; Blazek, J. (2015). Computational fluid dynamics: principles and applications. Butterworth-Heinemann.; Wesseling, P. (2009). Principles of computational fluid dynamics (Vol. 29). Springer Science & Business Media.; Anderson, D., Tannehill, J. C., & Pletcher, R. H. (2016). Computational fluid mechanics and heat transfer. Taylor & Francis. (original not read by en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "OED- oxford English Dictionary fluid mechanics online entry" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Greenkorn, "Momentum, Heat, and Mass Transfer Fundamentals", CRC Press, 3 October 2018, p. 18 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9781482292978 ("Momentum, Heat, and Mass Transfer Fundamentals"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9780080982434 ("Computational Fluid Dynamics"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
- Wikipedia, "Fluid mechanics" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kundu, "Fluid Mechanics", Academic Press, 27 March 2015 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9780124059351 ("Fluid Mechanics"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Fluid mechanics (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Classical Mechanics And Dynamics
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Fluid mechanics (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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