Fluid Mechanics Practice Test: Hydrostatic Forces on Surfaces — Flashcards

Hydrostatic Forces on Surfaces topics include: Hydrostatic force on plane area, pressure distribution in liquid, horizantal and inclined plane in liquid, total pressure and vertical plane surface.

Hydrostatic forces are the result of a liquid's pressure loading on submerged surfaces. They are always perpendicular to the surface and their magnitude depends on the surface's depth, surface area, and fluid density.

The formula for the hydrostatic force on a plane surface is: F = ∫ A P d A
F = P c p · A 
Where P c p is the pressure at the centroid of the plane surface. 

The formula for the hydrostatic force on a curved surface is: F = ρgA(h + d) 
Where ρ is fluid density, g is acceleration due to gravity, A is the surface area, h is the depth of the fluid above the centroid of the area, and d is the distance to the centroid. 
Hydrostatic forces differ on horizontal, vertical, or inclined surfaces. They depend on the point's depth from the water's free surface.