|
Summary of Article
This article takes users through steps that will help them understand how
airplanes fly. The article offers interactive activities
that allow readers to conduct simple tests at home that will help
them understand the
complexities of airplane flight. It brings the
science down to an easy, comprehensive study.
Back to top
Suggested
Age/Grade Levels
Age Level: 11 - 18
Grade Level: 5th grade - 12th grade
Related Topics
Physics
Investigate gravity, forces, pressure, and velocity.
Chemistry
Study fluids, air, pressure, density, and viscosity.
Mathematics
Perform calculations pertaining to velocity, acceleration, force,
and pressure.
Back to top
Objectives
After studying the article, students should be able to:
- Understand the concept of pressure.
- Explain Bernoulli's principle as it pertains to lift.
- Demonstrate how airplanes fly.
Back to top
Classroom Activities
Objective: To give students hands-on experience to help them understand
how planes fly.
Activity I
Flying Paper
Materials Needed
- Scissors
- Newspaper or notebook paper
Cut a two-inch-wide strip of newspaper or notebook
paper. The strip should be about 10 inches long.
Hold one end of the strip against your chin, just below
the mouth. Let the rest of the strip hang freely. Blow
hard over the top of the strip and watch what happens.
Activity II
Paper Wing
Materials Needed
- Scissors
- Notebook paper
- Tape
- Small electric fan
- Dowel rod (1 to 2 feet long)
Fold a piece of notebook paper widthwise so that there is
about a one-inch overlap of the ends. Use tape to attach
the ends together. You should see a flat side and a curved
side to the folded paper or wing. The top of the wing is
the curved portion. The leading edge of the
wing is the crease in the paper and the trailing edge is the
edge with the tape.
Slide the dowel rod through the wing, placing it close to the
leading edge. Turn the fan on to a low setting. While holding
the end of the dowel rod, position the leading edge of the wing
in front of the fan. The wing should become horizontal.
Move the wing up and down so that at least one surface is always
in a stream of moving air. Have students try to explain why the
wing stays horizontal when air is moving only over the top of it.
Back to top
Questions for Discussion
Q: Why does a wing cause an airplane to rise into the air?
A: Air moving over the curved surface of the top of the wing
has more distance to travel than the air under the wing.
Thus the air on top of the wing is moving faster than the
air below. This creates an area of lower pressure above the
wing, causing a force to be exerted under the wing and
lifting it upward. If the air moves fast enough over the
surface of the wing, the lift force can become sufficient to
overcome gravitational forces. The wing can then be said to
be flying.
Q: What is the other name for this concept of lift?
A: It’s called "Bernoulli’s principle," after Daniel
Bernoulli, a Swiss physician and mathematician, who
discovered it in the 18th century.
Back to top
Quiz
Click here
for a See How Planes Fly quiz.
*Please use your browser's back button to return to the
See How Planes Fly teacher's guide.
Back to top
Just the Facts
Pressure is defined as a force over an area. One psi is
equivalent to the force a one-pound object exerts on a one-square-inch
area.
Even air has weight, and thus exerts a pressure. The sensation of having
your ears "pop" as you ride in an elevator of a tall building is one way
that you can detect
different levels of air pressure.
Plastic surgery is one method that Hollywood types use to defeat the force
of gravity.
Bernoulli's principle applies to other fluids like water and oil, as well
as to gases such as helium and the nitrogen and oxygen in air.
Back to top
Links
to Relevant Web Sites and Additional Resources
http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/exhibits/planes/planes_0.html
*Page will open in a new window.
Back to top
Vocabulary
Bernoulli's principle: concept stating that as a fluid's speed increases,
its pressure decreases.
lift: force exerted on the underside of a wing by fluids moving over
the surfaces of the wing.
Back to top
For Fun
Just for fun, play our
See How Planes Fly Wordsearch game.
*Please use your browser's back button to return to the
See How Planes Fly teacher's guide.
Back to top
Back to Index of Articles
|
