The Froude number is a dimensionless number defined as the ratio of a characteristic velocity to a gravitational wave velocity. It may equivalently be defined as the ratio of a body's inertia to gravitational forces. In fluid mechanics, the Froude number is used to determine the resistance of a partially submerged object moving through water, and permits the comparison of objects of different sizes. Named after William Froude, the Froude number is based on the speed–length ratio as defined by him.
The Froude number is defined as:
where is a characteristic velocity, and is a characteristic water wave propagation velocity. The Froude number is thus analogous to the Mach number. The greater the Froude number, the greater the resistance.
Read more about Froude Number: Origins, Extended Froude Number, Uses
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