In physics, fluid dynamics is a subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids (liquids and gases) in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics (the study of air and other gases in motion) and hydrodynamics (the study of liquids in motion). Fluid dynamics has a wide range of applications, including calculating forces and moments on aircraft, determining the mass flow rate of petroleum through pipelines, predicting weather patterns, understanding nebulae in interstellar space and reportedly modeling fission weapon detonation. Some of its principles are even used in traffic engineering, where traffic is treated as a continuous fluid.
Fluid dynamics offers a systematic structure—which underlies these practical disciplines—that embraces empirical and semi-empirical laws derived from flow measurement and used to solve practical problems. The solution to a fluid dynamics problem typically involves calculating various properties of the fluid, such as velocity, pressure, density, and temperature, as functions of space and time.
Historically, hydrodynamics meant something different than it does today. Before the twentieth century, hydrodynamics was synonymous with fluid dynamics. This is still reflected in names of some fluid dynamics topics, like magnetohydrodynamics and hydrodynamic stability—both also applicable in, as well as being applied to, gases.
Read more about Fluid Dynamics: Equations of Fluid Dynamics, Terminology in Fluid Dynamics
Other articles related to "fluid dynamics, dynamics, fluids, fluid, dynamic":
... research became more and more important until in 1993 the institute discontinued all research in fluid dynamics ... Theo Geisel, who opened the Department of Nonlinear Dynamics ... Eberhard Bodenschatz in 2003 and the founding of the Department of Dynamics of Complex Fluids and the Department of Hydrodynamics, Pattern Formation and Nanonbiocomplexity ...
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... concept of pressure is central to the study of fluids ... can be identified for every point in a body of fluid, regardless of whether the fluid is in motion or not ... The concepts of total pressure and dynamic pressure arise from Bernoulli's equation and are significant in the study of all fluid flows ...
... In a compressible fluid, such as air, the temperature and density are essential when determining the state of the fluid ... are also essential in any study of compressible fluid flows ... density is identical to density and both can be identified for every point in a fluid flow field ...
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