Question

Why is a force exerted by a static fluid on a surface always perpendicular to the surface?

a) Due to gravitational influence.
b) To minimize friction.
c) To maximize pressure.
d) To maintain equilibrium.

Answer 1

A force exerted by a static fluid on a surface is always perpendicular to the surface due to the inability of fluids to withstand shearing forces. Pressure, a scalar quantity, has no direction, but the forces due to pressure have well-defined directions that are always perpendicular to any surface.

Step-by-step explanation:

The force exerted by a static fluid on a surface is always perpendicular to the surface because fluids cannot withstand or exert shearing forces.

Fluid pressure, which is a scalar quantity, has no direction, but the forces due to pressure have well-defined directions that are always exerted perpendicular to any surface.

This can be observed in everyday examples such as the pressure exerted by air on the walls of a tire or water on a swimmer's body.