Static Head is defined as ____.

• A. pressure due to depth or elevation of the water
• B. velocity of flow
• C. density of water
• D. temperature of water

Answer: (A)

Static head is the hydrostatic pressure created by the height of the water column above a point when the fluid is at rest. The pressure increases with how high the water is (P = ρ g h), so deeper water or greater elevation above the point results in greater static head. This is different from velocity head, which comes from the water’s motion, and it’s not defined by temperature; density plays a role in the hydrostatic equation, but the defining idea is the pressure due to the water’s elevation.