What is fluid mechanics in continuum mechanics?

Fluid mechanics is a fundamental branch of continuum mechanics that examines the behavior of liquids, gases, and plasmas from a macroscopic viewpoint without considering their atomic structure. It models matter as a continuous medium using differential equations for conservation laws, dividing its focus between fluids at rest and the motion caused by forces. This discipline forms the theoretical foundation for numerous engineering and scientific fields, ranging from aerodynamics to meteorology.

What we know

• Fluid mechanics is a branch of continuum mechanics that concerns the mechanics of fluids including liquids, gases, and plasmas, along with the forces acting on them. [3]
• Continuum mechanics models matter from a macroscopic viewpoint by assuming substances completely fill space and ignoring atomic composition. [2, 3]
• Fluid mechanics is divided into fluid statics, which studies fluids at rest, and fluid dynamics, which studies the effect of forces on fluid motion. [3]
• The theories of fluid mechanics use continuous functions and tensors to describe physical properties independently of coordinate systems. [2]

Where to go next

• compared withWhat is solid mechanics?
• how it workedHow does computational fluid dynamics work?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the core principles of continuum mechanics?
• whoWho were the historical figures that developed fluid mechanics?
• a case in pointHow is fluid mechanics applied in aerospace engineering?
• an unexpected connectionHow does fluid mechanics apply to the dynamics of galaxies?Although typically associated with water and engineering, fluid mechanics principles are utilized in astrophysics to study astronomical bodies and the movement of galaxies.

Sources

• [1]continuum mechanics (Wikidata Q193463) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Continuum mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Fluid mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]History of fluid mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Solid mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0