Spreadsheet analysis of fluid mechanics problems

This paper presents a study to obtain solutions to some fluid mechanics problems by spreadsheet analysis. By utilizing some of the many features available in spreadsheets, which are increasingly gaining popularity in the industry and academia, different aspects of fluid flow problems can be easily and graphically examined. It has been successfully used to study a majority of topics covered in a typical undergraduate fluid mechanics textbook. Some of the topics covered were determination of hydrostatic pressure and forces, buoyancy and stability, Bernoulli's equation and open channel flow. The spreadsheet solutions provided a simple means to solve fluid mechanics problems and proved to be effective tool in teaching undergraduate technology students.