What is Fluid Mechanics?

Fluid mechanics is a branch of physics which concerns the study of fluids and the ways in which they interact with forces. Both liquids and gases are considered to be fluids for the purposes of this branch of science. Often, the field of fluid mechanics is divided into two more specific fields of study. These are fluid statics and fluid dynamics, which concern fluids at rest and fluids in motion, respectively. Fluid mechanics can involve highly complex mathematics, and the aid of modern computers has enhanced this science significantly.

The chronological roots of fluid mechanics go all the way back to at least the ancient Greeks. The Greek physicist and inventor Archimedes was the author of some of the first studies we know of which concern fluid statics, including the property of buoyancy. Persian philosophers in the Medieval time period coupled these ancient works with their own studies of fluid dynamics that acted as an early precursor to modern fluid dynamics. Such well-known historical figures as Leonardo da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton, as well as others, made notable contributions to our understanding of fluid mechanics.

Every type of science starts out with basic, fundamental assumptions that govern the course of their study. Fluid mechanics is typically defined as having three basic premises or assumptions at its root. The first is the conservation of mass, which means that mass can neither be spontaneously created nor destroyed, although it may change forms. The second assumption, the conservation of momentum, is somewhat similar. This law states that the total momentum in a closed system is constant, and cannot spontaneously appear or disappear.

The third basic assumption governing fluid mechanics is what is known as the continuum hypothesis. This is a way of seeing fluids that does not take into account the presence of discrete molecules. Instead, a fluid's properties are assumed to vary in a continuous way from one point to the next.

Because it ignores the actual nature of small particles of matter, the continuum hypothesis is only an approximation used as a tool in calculations. It can result in a slightly inaccurate solution, but also in solutions that are very accurate under ideal circumstances. Other, more exact methods exist, but this hypothesis is often quite useful as a preliminary assumption. Many times, it can also be assumed that a given fluid is incompressible, meaning it cannot be compressed. This is only actually true of liquids, however, and not gases.