Activity 4.2.1 Four Forces of Flight Introduction Aerospace design engineers use aerodynamics, the science of motion of air and forces acting on bodies in air, to design airplanes that will fly. One of the jobs of an aerospace engineer is to create wing shapes that produce lift as the air moves over the wings. If an airplane is going to fly, the amount of lift must be greater than the force of gravity, and the amount of thrust produced by the engine must be greater than the drag force created by air resistance. Wing shapes that provide lift and have the proper angle of attack (the angle at which a wing meets the flow of air) can then help an airplane overcome gravity. Research has shown that a wing with a streamlined shape can overcome drag with the thrust of engines. The less drag on an airplane, the less power it needs to move. In this activity you will learn the forces acting on an airplane during flight. Knowledge of these forces will help you as you investigate atmospheric flight later in this unit. Equipment Gateway notebook Pencil Procedure Watch the video and to answer the questions below. your teacher’s demonstration Label the forces acting on the block. What forces would act on a block if it was sitting on the table? Draw a diagram and label the forces. Follow along with the presentation on the Four Forces of Flight, and answer the
Activity 4.2.1 Four Forces of Flight Introduction Aerospace design engineers use aerodynamics, the science of motion of air and forces acting on bodies in air, to design airplanes that will fly. One of the jobs of an aerospace engineer is to create wing shapes that produce lift as the air moves over the wings. If an airplane is going to fly, the amount of lift must be greater than the force of gravity, and the amount of thrust produced by the engine must be greater than the drag force created by air resistance. Wing shapes that provide lift and have the proper angle of attack (the angle at which a wing meets the flow of air) can then help an airplane overcome gravity. Research has shown that a wing with a streamlined shape can overcome drag with the thrust of engines. The less drag on an airplane, the less power it needs to move. In this activity you will learn the forces acting on an airplane during flight. Knowledge of these forces will help you as you investigate atmospheric flight later in this unit. Equipment Gateway notebook Pencil Procedure Watch the video and your teacher’s demonstration to answer the questions below. Label the forces acting on the block. What forces would act on a block if it was sitting on the table? Draw a diagram and label the forces. Follow along with the presentation on the Four Forces of Flight, and answer the
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