Gas Dynamics - Definition of A Fluid

Definition of A Fluid

Fluids are substances that do not permanently change under an enormous amount of stress. A solid tends to deform in order to remain at equilibrium under a great deal of stress. Fluids are defined as both liquids and gases because the molecules inside the fluid are much weaker than those molecules contained in a solid. When referring to the density of a fluid in terms of a liquid, there is a small percentage of change to the liquid’s density as pressure is increased. If the fluid is referred to as a gas, the density will change greatly depending on the amount of pressure applied due to the equation of state for gases (p=ρRT). In the study of the flow of liquids, the term used while referring to the little change in density is called incompressible flow. In the study of the flow of gases, the rapid increase due to an increase of pressure is called compressible flow.