What is fluid dynamics and how does it work?

Fluid dynamics is a subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that studies the flow of liquids and gases across physics, chemistry, and engineering. It encompasses fields like aerodynamics and hydrodynamics, with applications ranging from weather prediction to aerospace engineering. Fundamental principles, such as Bernoulli's principle, help explain how changes in pressure, speed, and height relate during fluid motion.

What we know

• Fluid dynamics is a subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that describes the flow of liquids and gases. [2]
• Fluid dynamics includes major subdisciplines such as aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. [2]
• Applied mechanics splits into particle mechanics, rigid body mechanics, solid mechanics, and fluid mechanics. [3]
• Bernoulli's principle states that for a horizontally flowing fluid, an increase in speed occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure. [4]

Where to go next

• a case in pointHow does aerodynamics study air in motion?
• the bigger pictureWhat is applied mechanics?
• how it workedHow does Bernoulli's principle relate pressure and speed?
• whenWhen did Daniel Bernoulli publish Hydrodynamica?
• compared withHow does fluid mechanics compare to solid mechanics?
• an unexpected connectionWhat do fluid mechanics and human cognitive psychology share?Both fields utilize the term 'fluid' to describe adaptive, dynamic systems—physical fluid motion in engineering physics versus fluid intelligence in human reasoning.

Sources

• [1]Outline of fluid dynamics (Wikidata Q123125764) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Outline of fluid dynamics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Applied mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Bernoulli's principle · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Fluid and crystallized intelligence · CC BY-SA 4.0