This textbook is intended to be read by undergraduate students enrolled in engineering or engineering science curricula who wish to study fluid mechanics on an intermediate level. No previous knowledge of fluid mechanics is assumed, but the students who use this book are expected to have had two years of engineering education which include mathematics, physics, engineering mechanics and thermodynamics.

This book has been written with the intention to direct the readers to think in clear and correct terms of fluid mechanics, to make them understand the basic principles of the subject, to induce them to develop some intuitive grasp of flow phenomena and to show them some of the beauty of the subject.

Care has been taken in this book to strictly observe the chain of logic. When a concept evolves from a previous one, the connection is shown, and when a new start is made, the reason for it is clearly stated, e.g., as where the turbulent boundary layer equations are derived anew. As related later, there may be programs of study in which certain parts of this book may be skipped. However, from a pedagogical point of view it is important that these skipped parts are there and that the student feels that he or she has a complete presentation even though it is not required to read some particular section.

It is believed that an important objective of engineering education is to induce the students to think in clear and exact terms.