Name: fluid pressure at one point
Uploaded: 2025-02-13T15:43:11.000Z
Duration: 1 min 15 s
Channel: JoVE

Consider extracting a small triangular wedge with defined edge dimensions from a fluid mass at an arbitrary location.
The only forces acting on the wedge are the normal pressure forces exerted by the surrounding fluid on the flat surfaces and the weight of the fluid element itself.
The equations of motion in the y and z directions for the fluid element assumed to experience accelerated motion without considering shearing stresses are equal to zero.
The pressure is multiplied by the area over which it acts to calculate the force generated by pressure.
The vertical and horizontal dimensions can be expressed in terms of the length of the inclined plane based on geometric relationships.
By substituting these values into the equations of motion, the expressions for the forces acting on the planes of the triangular wedge are simplified in terms of the lengths of the sides involved in the geometry.
If the lengths approach zero, the result indicates that the pressure acting at each surface within the fluid is equal to each other. This key finding is referred to as Pascal&#39;s law.

concept of pressure at a point

The concept of pressure at a point in a fluid establishes that pressure within a fluid is uniform in all directions at a specific location. This uniformity occurs because fluid molecules exert force evenly across any point due to their random motion and continuous collisions within the fluid. Pressure at a point is determined by the surrounding fluid molecules and is influenced by factors like depth and density, rather than by shape or orientation.
In a fluid at rest, pressure acts equally in every direction due to molecular interactions that are independent of direction. As depth within the fluid increases, pressure rises proportionally, following the principle that pressure at a specific point depends solely on the height of the fluid column above that point, and the density of the fluid. This leads to Pascal&#39;s law, which asserts that any change in pressure at one point in an incompressible fluid transmits equally to all points in the fluid.
This foundational principle of uniform pressure distribution is crucial in civil engineering applications. For instance, in designing dams, the pressure exerted by water at different depths must be carefully considered, as pressure increases with depth and impacts the dam&#39;s structural integrity.

Concept of Pressure at a Point

Consider extracting a small triangular wedge with defined edge dimensions from a fluid mass at an arbitrary location.
The only forces acting on the wedge ...

Education

JoVE Core

Civil Engineering

Unit 1

Fluid Statics

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

fluid pressure at one point

Fluid pressure at one point is the focus of this lesson. It shows that pressure in a fluid is the same in every direction at a single location. This happens because fluid molecules move randomly and collide with nearby molecules in a balanced way.

At a given point, the pressure depends on the surrounding fluid molecules. It is affected by depth and density, not by the shape of the container or the way the fluid is oriented. In a fluid at rest, the pressure acts equally in all directions because the molecular motion does not favor one direction over another.

Pressure also increases as depth increases. The pressure at a specific point depends on the height of the fluid column above that point and on the fluid’s density. This idea leads to Pascal’s law, which says that a pressure change at one point in an incompressible fluid is transmitted equally throughout the fluid.

This principle is important in civil engineering. When engineers design dams, they must account for water pressure at different depths. Water pressure rises with depth, and that increase affects the dam’s structural strength.

Fluid Pressure at One Point

Fluid pressure at one point is the focus of this lesson. It shows that pressure in a fluid is the same in every direction at a single location. This happens because fluid molecules move randomly and collide with nearby molecules in a balanced way. At a given point, the pressure depends on the surrounding fluid molecules. It is affected by depth and density, not by the shape of the container or the way the fluid is oriented. In a fluid at rest, the pressure acts equally in all directions...

basic equation for pressure field

Pressure Balance in a Fluid Element

The pressure field equation describes how forces stay balanced inside a small fluid element. In fluid mechanics, this balance helps explain how pressure changes from one place to another within a fluid. Two main force types act on a fluid segment: surface forces and body forces. Surface forces come from pressure differences across nearby points in the fluid, so they depend on the local pressure gradient, which is the rate of pressure change with position. Body forces are spread through the...

pressure variation in a fluid at rest

Hydrostatic Pressure and Fluid Depth

Hydrostatic pressure describes how pressure changes with depth in a fluid at rest. In a stationary fluid, the fluid acceleration is zero, so the forces inside the fluid balance. That means pressure at a point below the surface depends on depth, not on the container’s shape or size. Only vertical forces affect the pressure change in this situation. These forces come from the weight of the fluid above a point. When pressure is compared at two different levels, the difference in pressure equals...

measurement of fluid pressure

Manometers and Gauges for Fluid Pressure

Fluid pressure is measured with manometers and related gauges. These tools use a liquid column to show pressure differences. The height of the column gives a simple reading of the force the fluid exerts. A basic manometer is the piezometer. It is a vertical tube that is open at the top and filled with the same fluid being measured. When the tube connects to a container, the fluid height in the tube matches the pressure inside that container. For more detailed measurements, the U-tube...

hydrostatic pressure force on a plane surface

hydrostatic-pressure-force-on-a-plane-surface

Hydrostatic Pressure on Submerged Surfaces

Hydrostatic pressure creates force on submerged plane surfaces. The force depends on the fluid pressure and the area of the surface. The way that force acts changes with the surface position. For a horizontal surface, the depth stays the same across the whole area. That means the pressure is uniform. The resultant force equals the pressure at that depth multiplied by the surface area, and it acts through the centroid of the surface. For a vertical surface, pressure increases as depth...

hydrostatic pressure force on a curved surface

hydrostatic-pressure-force-on-a-curved-surface

Finding the Force on Curved Fluid Surfaces

Hydrostatic pressure on curved surfaces is an important idea in fluid mechanics. It helps explain how water pushes on curved structures in civil engineering. Examples include reservoirs, dams, and storage tanks. The pressure changes in both size and direction along the curve. To find the total hydrostatic force on a curved surface, engineers isolate the fluid volume next to that surface. They then study the forces on imaginary horizontal and vertical planes that cut through the volume. The...

buoyancy and stability for submerged and floating bodies

buoyancy-and-stability-for-submerged-and-floating-bodies

How Buoyancy Keeps Bodies Stable in Water

Buoyancy and stability explain how submerged and floating bodies behave in a fluid. When a body is fully or partly under water and stays still, the fluid pushes upward on it. That upward push is called the buoyant force. The buoyant force acts through the center of buoyancy. This is the center of the displaced fluid volume. Archimedes’ principle says the buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the body. Stability describes whether a body can return to its original position...

design example: application of archimedes' principle

design-example-application-of-archimedes-principle

Floating Block Buoyancy and Center of Buoyancy

Archimedes' principle is used to analyze the buoyant force on a wooden block that floats in seawater. The block has a rectangular section, and its dimensions, specific gravity, and the specific weight of seawater are used in the calculation. This setup shows how floating bodies stay in equilibrium. The first step is to find the weight of the block from its volume and specific gravity. Then Archimedes' principle is applied. The weight of the displaced water must equal the weight of the block.

key terms and concepts

Explore how fluid pressure acts at a single point, why it is equal in all directions, and how depth, density, and Pascal’s law apply to dams.

Fluid Pressure at One Point | JoVE K12

JoVE Core Civil Engineering offers a foundational exploration of essential construction materials such as bricks, stones, steel, wood, and concrete, along with fluid mechanics topics like flow over immersed bodies, open channel flow, and dimensional modeling. It also covers key surveying concepts, including leveling, traverse adjustments, curve design, topographic mapping, and geospatial technologies (GPS & GIS). Science-in-action videos showcase laboratory research on materials, fluids, and surveying practices in real-world engineering systems.

Fluid Pressure at One Point

Description

Transcript

Tags