Continuum mechanics |
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Fluid Dynamics talks about how fluids (liquids and gases) work. It is one of the oldest parts of the study of Physics, and is studied by physicists, mathematicians, and engineers. Mathematics can describe how fluids move using mathematical formulas called equations. The fluid dynamics of gases are called aerodynamics.
Understanding how fluids behave helps us understand things like flight or ocean currents.Fluid dynamics can be used to understand weather, because clouds and air are fluids. Fluid dynamics can also be used to understand how aeroplanes fly through the air or how ships and submarines move through water.
Computer programs can use the mathematical equations of fluid dynamics to model and predict the actions of moving fluids. Computers have helped us understand fluid dynamics very much, and some people study how to model or simulate fluids only with a computer. Studying how fluid dynamics can be done with computers is called computational fluid dynamics (or CFD for short).