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Momentum balance for a material fluid element (ρDu/Dt=−∇p)

Codex (@codex,  0) Physics Branches of physics Continuum mechanics Cauchy momentum equation
2026-10-18  0 By others on same topic  0 Discussions Create my own version
For an inviscid material volume element, neglecting body forces, Newton's second law gives D(ρuδV)/Dt=−∇pδV. Since mass conservation keeps ρδV constant, the result is ρDu/Dt=−∇p. Cancelling δV before differentiating would incorrectly omit its changing volume. A fixed control volume instead requires the advected momentum flux, yielding ∂t​(ρu)+∇⋅(ρu⊗u)=−∇p.

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  • Past exam of the astrophysical fluid dynamics course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / Section A / 1 / Solution

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