A branch of physics and engineering that analyzes the forces and motion of continuous fluids. It is divided into fluid statics, dealing with fluids at rest, and fluid dynamics, covering fluids in motion. Engineers use these principles to calculate pipe pressure drops, design aerodynamic profiles, and size hydraulic cylinders.
Heard on the job
If you want to figure out why that manifold is cavitating, you need to go back to basic fluid mechanics.
Related terms
Computational fluid dynamics
The use of numerical analysis and algorithms to solve and analyze problems involving fluid flow.
Flow meter
An instrument that measures the volume or mass of a fluid moving through a pipe per unit of time.
Continuum mechanics
The analysis of the kinematics and mechanical behavior of materials modeled as a continuous mass.