Airplane Physics Study Guide

Lift

Upward force caused by the wings interacting with air

Weight

Downward force caused by gravity

Thrust

Forward force produced by an engine or a throw

Drag

Backward force caused by air resistance

Four Forces of Flight

Lift weight thrust and drag

Balanced Forces

Forces with a net force of zero that cause no change in motion

Thrust = Drag

The plane does not speed up or slow down

Lift = Weight

The plane does not rise or fall

Thrust > Drag

The plane speeds up

Drag > Thrust

The plane slows down

Lift > Weight

The plane rises

Weight > Lift

The plane falls

Bernoulli's Principle

As air moves faster air pressure decreases

Fast Air

Creates lower air pressure

Slow Air

Creates higher air pressure

Bernoulli and Lift

Faster air over the wing creates lower pressure above it while higher pressure below helps push the wing upward

Newton's 3rd Law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Newton's 3rd Law and Lift

The wing pushes air down and the air pushes the wing up

Action Force

The wing pushing air downward

Reaction Force

The air pushing the wing upward

Angle of Attack

The angle at which a wing meets the incoming air

Greater Angle of Attack

Can push more air down and increase lift but too much can cause a stall

Stall

A condition where a wing loses sufficient lift due to an excessive angle of attack

Air Resistance

The force of drag caused by air opposing motion

Lift and Speed

As a plane slows down its lift decreases

Airplane Wings

Wings interact with air to produce lift

Curved Wing

The curved top helps air move faster over the wing

High Pressure

Greater air pressure that can push toward an area of lower pressure

Low Pressure

Reduced air pressure caused by faster-moving air

Qualitative Data

Descriptive observations that are not numerical

Quantitative Data

Data represented by numbers or measurements

Independent Variable

The variable that is intentionally changed

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured as a result

Control Group

The original or unchanged design used for comparison

Experimental Group

The design with the variable being tested changed

Constants

Factors kept the same during an experiment

One Variable at a Time

Changing only one factor so its effect can be determined

Iterative Testing

Repeatedly testing and modifying a design to improve it

Engineering Design Process

The process of identifying a problem researching designing testing and improving a solution

Problem

The first step of the Engineering Design Process

Criteria

Requirements a successful design must meet

Constraints

Limitations placed on a design

Research

Investigating possible solutions and how they work

Proposed Solution

The design chosen as a possible answer to the problem

Prototype

The first version of a design used for testing

Prototype Testing

Testing the prototype repeatedly and collecting data

Repeated Testing

Testing modifications one variable at a time

Communicate Results

Explaining the design testing results and possible improvements

Paper Airplane Prototype

The first version of the paper airplane built and tested

Distance

The amount of space the airplane travels

Flight Stability

How consistently the airplane maintains its intended flight path

Air Resistance at High Altitude

There is less air resistance at high altitude which can reduce drag and fuel use

Takeoff

Occurs when lift becomes greater than weight

Net Force

The overall force remaining after all forces are combined

Constant Motion

Motion that continues at the same speed and direction when forces are balanced

150 mph

The approximate runway speed stated in class notes before a plane takes off