Course info

This is an introductory course on fluid motion, the forces that fluids exert, and the forces that are exerted on them. The study of fluid mechanics has numerous engineering applications. Fluids interact with structures such as high-rise buildings, dams, and bridges and the static and dynamic loads imposed by the fluids must be considered in the design and construction of these structures.
Cars, aircraft, and ships all move through fluids, and frictional (fluid drag) forces represent a major energy sink. Water is an important resource to California and fluid mechanical problems abound in the complex system of dams, aqueducts, treatment plants, pipes, and valves used to deliver water to urban and agricultural consumers. Finally, the motions of contaminants in water and air are governed by the mechanics of fluid flow.