The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that occurs when a fluid (like air or water) flows through a constricted section of a pipe or tube. As the fluid speeds up in the narrower section, its pressure decreases, in accordance with Bernoulli’s principle, which states that an increase in the speed of a fluid corresponds to a decrease in its pressure. Other words, when a fluid is forced into a tighter space, it has to move faster. This increased speed comes at the expense of its internal pressure, causing the pressure within the constricted area to drop.
Key Principles
Conservation of Mass (Continuity Equation) - For an incompressible fluid, as it flows through a narrower section, its velocity must increase to maintain a constant mass flow rate.
Conservation of Energy (Bernoulli’s Principle) - This principle states that for a fluid in steady flow, an increase in velocity is accompanied by a decrease in its static pressure. In the Venturi effect, the kinetic energy of the fluid increases as it speeds up, and this gain in kinetic energy is balanced by a corresponding drop in its potential energy, which manifests as a decrease in pressur.
