[Physics] What force accelerates a liquid moving in a narrowing pipe

accelerationbernoulli-equationflowfluid dynamicspressure

Say there is a liquid which behaves like an incompressible fluid and is flowing steadily through a pipe which is moving from a cross section of area $A_1$ to the cross section of area $A_2$, where $A_2$ is less than $A_1$. As per the continuity equation, $v_2>v_1$ and so the liquid seems to be accelerating. What force is causing this acceleration?

Best Answer

You are right. From continuity of the incompressible fluid you have $$A_1 v_1 = A_2 v_2.$$ So obviously the velocity is changing. Thus the fluid is accelerated, and therefore there must be a force causing this acceleration. In this case the force comes from the pressure difference between the wide and the narrow part of the pipe.

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(image from ResearchGate - Diagram of the Bernoulli principle)

This can be described by Bernoulli's equation ($p$ is pressure, $\rho$ is density) $$\frac{1}{2}\rho v_1^2 + p_1 = \frac{1}{2}\rho v_2^2 + p_2$$

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