First Test Fluid Mechanics

Yesterday, we had our first exam in my fluid mechanics class. This was a different type of exam than I have taken before. The fluid mechanic knowledge needed to solve the three problems was minimal. The three problems tested your problem solving skills and critical thinking abilities. The last problem on the test was about a triangular prism of wood that was glued to the bottom of a swimming pool. I became mindful that the block of wood, whose density was given, was less dense than the surrounding water and therefore would float if not restrained by a force. In this problem the force of adhesion counteracted the remainder of the buoyant force that was left after subtracting the weight of the prism. This force of adhesion kept the prism of wood underwater and could be calculated given the prism's dimensions and density.