Popular Branches
MBA
B.Tech
BBA
BSc
Home > Articles > Fluid Friction: Definition, Examples, Types, How it Works, Laws, Factors Affecting, and Disadvantages
Updated on 06th October, 2023 , 6 min read
Friction is the force that prevents solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material components from sliding against each other. The force that resists the flow of liquid inside itself or in another medium is referred to as "fluid friction." Because of the less attractive interactions between the molecules in a liquid, they move continually. The liquid friction is affected by the fluid's thickness. It is commonly used in water slides to allow people to glide down smoothly.
Friction is described as the resistance provided by surfaces in contact as they move past each other. Friction gives the traction required to walk without slipping. In most circumstances, friction is beneficial. They do, however, provide significant resistance to the move. Furthermore, around 20% of automotive engine power is spent overcoming frictional forces in moving components.
A fluid, as opposed to a solid, is a substance that deforms continuously when forced by an outside force. Fluids are commonly associated with water and coffee; however, gases such as air and compounds such as motor oil are also fluids. Viscosity is the trait that distinguishes them from one another. The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to flow due to internal friction. This is why honey is far more difficult to extract from a container than ketchup. It also explains why moving in a swimming pool is more difficult than moving on dry land.
Fluid friction arises when fluid layers move relative to one another. The term for this internal resistance to flow is viscosity. The viscosity of a fluid is commonly referred to as its "thickness" in ordinary parlance. Because all-natural fluids resist shearing, they are vicious. It is useful to consider an inviscid fluid or an ideal fluid that has no resistance to shearing and is therefore not vicious. It depicts the friction that occurs between the moving layers of a viscous liquid. Viscosity refers to the internal resistance to flow. The higher the ease of movement or frictional force, the less dense the fluid. Fluid friction is commonly employed in water slides to gently encourage or glide down.
Drag is the frictional force exerted by a fluid and is a type of frictional force exerted by a fluid that resists an object's motion through that fluid. Drag force works in the opposite direction of the object's motion.
There are several examples of friction in everyday life. Below are a few examples-
The following are some of the types of fluid friction-
It is the resistance to relative lateral motion between two solid surfaces in contact.
It is friction that occurs between moving layers of a viscous fluid.
It is the force that resists motion between the components that make up a solid substance when it deforms.
It is a type of fluid friction in which two solid surfaces are separated by a lubricating fluid.
It is a component of drag, which is the force that resists fluid motion across the surface of a body.
Friction occurs when two fluid layers move in opposite directions. Viscosity refers to the internal resistance to flow. The term "viscosity" refers to the "thickness" of a fluid. All real fluids are viscous because they resist shearing in some way. The concept of an inviscid fluid, or an ideal fluid with no resistance to shearing and so is not viscous, can be advantageous.
The fluid friction laws are as follows-
As the area of contact between the surface and the fluid rises, so does the fluid friction.
As the velocity gradient of the material grows, so does the fluid friction.
A fluid with a greater coefficient of fluid friction, or eta (), has a higher fluid frictional force.
Fluid friction is determined by the following factors-
The lower the fluid friction, the thinner the fluid, and vice versa. Different fluids provide varying degrees of resistance or viscous drag to the thing moving through them.
For Example: An object traveling in honey experiences far more viscous force than an object traveling in plain water because the density of honey is much greater than the density of water and hence presents greater resistance to the flow of the object.
Friction and speed are proportional to one another. The fluid friction or drag rises proportionately as the speed increases.
For Example: An airplane traveling at its maximum speed of 1000 km/hr will experience more air frictional force or drag than another similar airplane traveling at 600 km/hr. Similarly, a fast watercraft feels less fluid friction than a slow-moving fish.
Other figures experience greater drag than the body with a streamlined shape that begins and finishes in points like a fish shape. Vehicle designs are meant to minimize surface contact while moving. It contributes significantly to the smoother movement of liquids and gases. The body's form must be in agreement with the medium in which it is flowing or moving, or else it faces significant resistance to movement, making the activity time-consuming. As a result, most bodies have a streamlined form to decrease this. This guarantees that the surface of contact and hence fluid friction are minimized at the beginning and end.
Friction and speed are proportional to one another. The fluid friction or drag rises proportionately as the speed increases.
For Example: An airplane traveling at a maximum speed of 1000 km/hr will experience more air frictional force or drag than another similar airplane traveling at 600 km/hr. Similarly, a fast watercraft feels less fluid friction than a slow-moving fish.
The greater the surface area of the body, the greater the fluid friction.
For Example: A horizontally traveling body may cut through liquid more easily than a vertically moving body. Fluid friction increases as the surface area of a body grows, making movement or flow more difficult.
Because the fluid friction of gas is precisely proportional to the square root of the absolute temperature, the fluid friction of all gases increases as the temperature rises. The fluid friction of liquids and other things increases proportionately as the temperature rises.
The viscosity of a fluid is an important factor in influencing the velocity of an object passing through it. The more viscous the fluid, the denser it is, and hence the mobility of any substance contained inside it is restricted or encounters resistance to motion. The more viscous the drag, the denser the liquid.
The disadvantages of fluid friction-
Pilot Salary in India 2024: Starting Salary, Requirements, Qualifications, Per Month Salary
By - Nikita Parmar 2024-09-06 10:59:22 , 6 min readAns. Each particle in a fluid exerts a force on the particles around it, and if one of those particles begins to move, the others will try to pull it back, progressing and producing a cascade of particle interactions. The liquid eventually comes into contact with something substantial, and while the liquid tugs on the tangible item, the atoms or molecules that make up the solid can’t fairly split from one another. So, if the liquid can move the entire concrete item, it must. If this solid becomes planted somewhere, it exerts a force on the liquid, resulting in another type of fluid friction.
Ans. A fluid is a material that has no distinct structure and quickly responds to external pressure.
Ans. Ionizing the fluid is one alternative since a comparable charge will help us reduce friction to some extent, but it is not a practical solution. Experiment with lowering the viscosity (the forces that oppose the free flow of liquid) of a fluid using chemical methods, diluting it, or adjusting its temperature, depending on how your fluid reacts to those changes. Rotation can be used to reduce friction in a tube or pipe. The variance is minimized in very chilled liquids. It can also be reduced by providing the body with distinctive streamlined designs that reduce drag according to fluid friction rules.
Ans. Unsteady fluid is defined as fluid whose velocity varies between any two places while flowing.
Ans. Friction is the force that prevents solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material components from sliding against each other.