Elementary Classical Hydrodynamics

Book excerpt: Elementary Classical Hydrodynamics deals with the fundamental principles of elementary classical hydrodynamics, with emphasis on the mechanics of inviscid fluids. Topics covered by this book include direct use of the equations of hydrodynamics, potential flows, two-dimensional fluid motion, waves in liquids, and compressible flows. Some general theorems such as Bernoulli's equation are also considered. This book is comprised of six chapters and begins by introducing the reader to the fundamental principles of fluid hydrodynamics, with emphasis on ways of studying the motion of a fluid. Basic concepts and quantities such as viscosity, density, and pressure, are considered, along with hydrostatics and the equation of motion. The discussion then turns to Bernoulli's equation, the motion of a small element of fluid, velocity potential, and the kinetic energy of a uniform incompressible fluid. The chapters that follow explore two-dimensional fluid motion; a uniform inviscid, incompressible liquid having a free surface and upon which the only body force acting is uniform gravity; and a compressible gas with undisturbed uniform pressure and density, paying particular attention to the propagation and reflection of sound waves. This book is intended as an elementary introduction to the mechanics of inviscid fluids for first and second year undergraduates.