‘Hydro’ word corresponds to fluid, and ‘static’ refers to stationary. Hence, hydrostatic is a branch of fluid mechanics that helps to study the nature of the fluid at rest and the pressure exerted by it on an object immersed in it. This is the reason why hydrostatic is also known as fluid statics. It helps to study and observe the properties of fluids when they are present in the state of equilibrium. It is the pressure exerted by the molecules of the fluid due to the force of gravitation existing within themselves or between the molecules and the walls of the container.
Examples of Hydrostatic Force
1. Measure Volume
Calculating the volume of an object that possesses perfect geometry is easy because there exist experimentally verified formulae that give the volume with high precision and accuracy as an output. However, it becomes difficult to calculate the volume of objects having arbitrary and haphazard geometry. To measure the volume of such an object, one of the best methods is to employ hydrostatic force. It involves immersing the object into a container filled with fluid and measuring the amount of water displaced by it. The amount of water displaced due to the body immersed into the container is equal to the volume possessed by it.
2. Transportation and Storage
Storing and transporting liquids requires a close study of the fluid statics or hydrostatics of the particular fluid. The structure of the containers placed at the back of the trucks that are used to transport petrol and other fluid fuels are specifically designed to minimize the chances of spilling and loss of the contents. Other than this, the hydrostatic force is also helpful to calculate the viscosity, volume, and density of fluids.
3. Medicine
Hydrostatics helps to measure blood pressure and determine the characteristics of other body fluids. The pressure exerted by any liquid in a confined space is known as hydrostatic pressure. The pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels is a typical example of hydrostatic force in everyday life. The hydrostatic capillary arterial force or pressure usually measures 35 mm of mercury. Fluid static force is also accountable to drive fluids out of the capillaries for the purpose of filtration.
4. Geophysics
Hydrostatic force plays a significant role in mud engineering. As per the basic laws of fluid mechanics, in a container filled with fluid, the force existing at an arbitrary point is contributed by the pressure exerted by the fluid present above that particular point. The hydrostatic force must be properly optimized before beginning a very common geophysics operation called the mud drilling process. The fluid static force must be adequate enough to avoid any sort of inflow of fluids from the downside. Also, the hydrostatic force must not be present in excess, which may cause hydraulic fractures and lead to clogged circulation.
5. Meteorology
A matter is assigned the term fluid if it is able to flow and take the shape of its container. By virtue of this definition, the gases are fluids as well. Between the gravitational force pulling the fluid present in the environment and the pressure force exerted in the upward direction, there exists a state of equilibrium. The fluid is stationary or in a state of rest. This is why the presence of a fluid static force can be clearly seen in such a case.
6. Studying Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure refers to the force exerted by the air on a surface. It is mostly approximated to the hydrostatic force caused due to the weight of the air. The variation in the hydrostatic force or the atmospheric pressure leads to a flow of air, mostly from high pressure to low pressure, called wind. It is also responsible for the generation of cyclones and tornados.
7. Submarines
A submarine is a watercraft that is capable to float on the surface of the water as well as move underwater. The buoyant force helps to enable the floating operation of a submarine, whereas hydrostatic force handles its underwater operation. The main task of evaluating all the aspects of hydrostatic force properly while constructing a submarine is not only to allow smooth operation when the submarine is submerged in the water but also to incorporate the ability to handle damage and work efficiently even after encountering harm. It enables the submarine to make changes in the weight of the structure accordingly by adjusting the amount of water being displaced around it.
