Final answer:
Fluid power using compressed air to create mechanical motion is known as pneumatic power. Pneumatics involves the use of compressed gas, in contrast to hydraulics which utilizes fluid pressure, and is utilized in various technologies from factory equipment to robots.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fluid power which uses compressed air to affect mechanical motion is called pneumatic power. Pneumatics is the branch of technology or physics that deals with the use of compressed gas to generate mechanical force or motion. This is in contrast to hydraulics, which uses the pressure of a fluid, generally oil, to perform work. Pneumatic systems are employed in various applications, such as in the operation of factory machinery, power tools, and are even used in modern day robots.
A typical example of a pneumatic system is a Stirling engine, which uses compressed air that moves back and forth between two chambers, aiding in the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical work. This process, along with others like the functioning of a hydraulic press or a hydraulic jack, encompasses a substantial part of fluid mechanics, a field of physics that is essential in engineering applications involving fluid flow, such as in the design of air flow systems for airplanes or the deep-draft pumping of oil.