n.
Branch of science concerned with the practical applications of fluids , primarily liquids , in motion .
It is related to fluid mechanics , which in large part provides its theoretical foundation. Hydraulics deals with such matters as the flow of liquids in pipes, rivers, and channels and their confinement by dams and tanks. Some of its principles apply also to gases , usually when variations in density are relatively small. The scope of hydraulics extends to such mechanical devices as actuators and control systems. See also Bernoulli's principle , Pascal's law , pump .