The study of fluids at rest and in motion. Fluid statics is concerned with the pressures and forces exerted on liquids and gases at rest. Hydrostatics is specifically concerned with the behaviour of liquids at rest. In fluid dynamics the forces exerted on fluids, and the motion that results from these forces, are examined. It can be divided into hydrodynamics, the motion of liquids (not only water), and aerodynamics, the motion of gases.
Fluid dynamics is an important science used to solve many of the problems arising in aeronautical, chemical, mechanical, and civil engineering. It also enables many natural phenomena, such as the flight of birds, the swimming of fish, and the development of weather conditions, to be studied scientifically. Considerations of fluid mechanics are also very important in many problems in astrophysics and geophysics.