hydrostatisch

Hydrostatics is the branch of fluid statics that studies fluids at rest and the pressure they exert. It analyzes how pressure is transmitted inside a stationary liquid and how forces balance within immersed objects. Key concepts include the isotropy of pressure (pressure is the same in all directions at a given point) and buoyancy, leading to Archimedes’ principle.

In a fluid of density ρ under gravity g, the pressure increases with depth h. If p0 is the pressure at the fluid surface, the pressure at depth h is p = p0 + ρ g h. The equation of hydrostatics also allows the separation of absolute pressure from gauge pressure (pressure relative to atmospheric pressure).

Buoyant force acts upward on immersed bodies equal to the weight of the displaced fluid; this is the basis for the operation of ships and balloons. The hydrostatic pressure distribution also explains how forces act on submerged surfaces and supports stationary fluids in containers and vessels.

Applications of hydrostatics include the design of dams, water towers, tanks, and submarines, as well as hydrostatic testing of piping systems. Barometers and manometers rely on hydrostatic pressure differences. In atmospheric science, the hydrostatic equation describes how atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, reflecting the same underlying principle of fluids at rest under gravity.

In everyday language, hydrostatics describes how liquids in containers transmit pressure and support loads without motion. The concept is foundational to hydraulics, fluid mechanics, and many engineering and scientific disciplines.