Question

What are the different types of flow?

Answer 1

Hint: Not many may be able relate the question to come under the concept of fluid mechanics. So, flow basically is one among the properties of a fluid. You could first give a basic description of liquids and then go into explaining the basic classification of fluid flow and hence answer the question.

Complete step-by-step solution:
In the question, we are asked to list down the different types of flow. You may recall that fluids are substances lacking definite shape and get yielded easily on being applied external pressure. They might be either a liquid or may be a gas or even plasma. They have zero shear modulus, that is, they can’t resist the shear force applied onto them.
Among other properties of fluids comes the flow. Fluid flow depends on the velocity of the fluid. Depending on the velocity of the fluid the flow is categorized as steady flow or unsteady flow commonly.
The standard classification is as streamline flow and turbulent flow.
Streamline flow is basically the steady flow of liquids where the liquid flow occurs in parallel layers. Every particle in a particular fluid undergoing streamline flow follows the path of the preceding particle and will also have the same velocity both in magnitude and direction. Here the velocity of the liquid is seen to be less than the critical velocity of the fluid.
Turbulent flow is basically the unsteady chaotic motion and high lateral mixing of liquid occurs. The particles are observed to have different speeds and directions at different points. Here, the velocity of the fluid would be greater than the critical velocity.

Note: You may be wondering what exactly this critical velocity is. It is that value of velocity at which the liquid flow is observed to change from streamlined flow to turbulent flow. The critical velocity of a fluid is calculated using Reynold’s number which is a dimensionless variable.