
26      1 Fundamentals in Continuum Mechanics 
dVF
t
F
tD
DI
V
¿
¾
½
¯
®
 
uේ
 
(1.5.9)
          
dSFdV
t
F
SV
un  
ˆ
 
(1.5.10)
It should be noted that the Gauss’ divergence theorem was applied in order 
to write the surface integral 
³
S
dS~  from the volume integral 
³
V
dV~ . 
The physical picture of the Reynolds’ transport theorem is that the rate 
of change of the integral of 
 in Lagrangian description is the sum of the 
integral of the rate of change at a point, and the net flow of 
over the 
control volume surface in Eulerian description. 
1.6 Forces on Volume Element 
There are two kinds of forces acting on a volume element of a continuum 
medium. The volume element taken in a flow field is called the control 
volume in Eulerian description and equivalently called the fluid particle in 
Lagrangian description. In both cases, as depicted in Fig. 1.8, “Body 
forces” as one of the two kinds, can be regarded as reaching the medium 
and acting over the entire volume. Body forces, which are represented by a 
symbol 
g, are due to long-range forces, such as gravitation (with the 
gravitational acceleration
g) or electromagnetic forces, etc. They are usu-
ally independent from a deformation of the volume element and are caused 
by an external field of source.  
“Surface forces”, of another kind, are to be regarded as acting upon the 
surface of each part of the volume element. The origins of surface forces 
are chiefly due to two short-range forces, viscous and elastic forces, those 
have strong dependence on a deformation of the volume element. The sur-
face forces have molecular origin in the vicinity of the surface, and act on 
internal forces through the surface. Surface forces may also be generated 
by an externally applied field, such as electromagnetic field, through sur-
face coupling. We shall see detailed descriptions of body forces and sur-
face forces in later chapters, such as Chapter 7 and Chapter 8. However, at 
present we will treat the surface forces, with reference to stresses, that can 
be represented by a stress tensor. We follow to define a general stress ten-
sor in a continuum medium, in this chapter, through Cauchy’s fundamental 
theorem for stress.