Medical Physics Lecture Notes: Fluid Mechanics

These flashcards cover key concepts from medical physics, particularly focused on fluid mechanics, including definitions and explanations of various terms and principles.

Medical Physics

The application of physics concepts in medicine, healthcare, and medical sciences.

Fluid Mechanics

The branch of physics that studies fluids (liquids and gases) and the forces acting on them.

Hydrostatics

The study of fluids at rest and the conditions under which fluids are in stable equilibrium.

Fluid Dynamics

The branch of fluid mechanics that studies the flow of fluids and the forces producing that flow.

Pascal's Law

States that a change in pressure applied to a fluid is transmitted undiminished to every point of the fluid.

Buoyant Force

The upward force exerted by a fluid, equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by an object.

Laminar Flow

A type of fluid flow in which layers of fluid slide smoothly past one another.

Turbulent Flow

A type of fluid flow characterized by chaotic, irregular fluid motion.

Viscosity

A measure of a fluid's resistance to deformation or flow.

Reynolds Number

A dimensionless number used to predict flow patterns in different fluid flow situations.

Centrifugation

A separation process that uses centripetal acceleration to accelerate the settling of particles in a fluid.

Systolic Pressure

The pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries during heart contraction.

Diastolic Pressure

The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.

Hematocrit

The ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood.

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

The rate at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube, indicating inflammation.

Non-Newtonian Fluid

A fluid whose viscosity changes with the applied stress or flow rate.

Newton's Law of Viscosity

Describes the relationship between shear stress and shear rate for a viscous fluid.

Centripetal Acceleration

The acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of rotation.

Centrifugal Force

An apparent force that acts outward on a body that moves around a center, arising from the body's inertia.