[Physics] Flow rate is calculated only using the parallel component of the velocity vector

flowfluid dynamicsvectors

Flow rate is calculated using only the parallel component of the velocity vector to the area vector. Why is this? How can I mathematically prove this? Namely, how do I prove any perpendicular component of the velocity vector is not contributing to any volume output?

I know this is the result of the dot product; but I want to know why the dot product is valid reasoning for this scenario.

Best Answer

The volume of a differential fluid element (or differential anything, really) is the area of its cross section times the perpendicular distance over which that cross section is stretched.

enter image description here

In this picture, that'd be $A\cdot h$, not $A\cdot b$, since the distance $b$ is not perpendicular to the cross section.

Now, if you want to know how much fluid passes through an area element per unit time, you're essentially calculating the volume of fluid that passes through that area in one time unit. Look at the above picture: say we want to calculate the fluid flow through the bottom face, and say the velocity $\vec{v}$ points in the direction of side b, so that it's not perpendicular to the surface. Then the perpendicular height (needed to calculate volume) of this fluid element comes only from the part of the velocity parallel to the normal, $\hat{n}$ (which is pointed straight up). The perpendicular height would be the vertical component of velocity $\vec{v} \cdot \hat{n}$ time the time, $t$. Multiply by the area A (and divide by $t$ to get the fluid flow per unit time), and you get

$$ \vec{v} \cdot \vec{dA}$$

where $\vec{dA}$ is $A$ times the unit surface normal, which is the usual formula.