Three regimes of liquid flow over a body are defined,
namely: (a) noncavitating flow; (b) cavitating flow with a
relatively small number of cavitation bubbles in the field
of flow; and (c) cavitating flow with a single large cavity
about the body. The assumption is made that, for the
second regime of flow, the pressure coefficient in the flow
field is no different from that in the noncavitating flow.
On this basis, the equation of motion for the growth and
collapse of a cavitation bubble containing vapor is derived
and applied to experimental observations on such bubbles.
The limitations of this equation of motion are pointed
out, and include the effect of the finite rate of evaporation
and condensation, and compressibility of vapor and
liquid. A brief discussion of the role of "nuclei" in the
liquid in the rate of formation of cavitation bubbles is
also given