Aerodynamics is the way objects move through the air. It explains how an airplane can fly in the air and how a kite can fly in the air. Anything that moves through air is affected by aerodynamics, even cars! So how does aerodynamics work and how does it affect our everyday lives?
There are four forces of aerodynamics, lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Each of these forces affect the direction in which something is moving in the air. Lift is created by a difference in air pressure, it allows the object to go up. Weight is the opposite of lift, it is the force of gravity that pulls an object down. Thrust is the force that pushes an object forward, if an object is to continue moving in the air, there must be more thrust than drag. Speaking of drag, what is it? Drag is a force that pulls back on something that is trying to go forward, it provides resistance. Now that you know the fundamental basics of aerodynamics, how does all of this affect our lives?
Aerodynamics affects the design of our transportation systems. Some examples of this are trains, cars, airplanes, and ships. In airplanes, aerodynamics helps us decide what shape the wings should be, the aircraft’s steadiness, and the fuel efficiency. For example, the wings of an airplane are curved to keep the airplane in flight, this also saves fuel.
Believe it or not, aerodynamics also affects sports like swimming and cycling. In swimming, the swimmers use aerodynamics to adjust their body positions and equipment design to reduce drag and magnify their performance. In cycling, the cyclist and the bike should be as sleek as possible. This is to reduce the drag, making it easier to pedal and improving your speed.
Everyday objects are also affected by aerodynamics. Objects like kites, windmills, and even golf balls! The main purpose of a windmill is to generate electricity using the wind. There are two types of windmills, drag based and lift based, the latter is more efficient. These two different types of windmills use a different aerodynamic force needed to draw out the energy.
Aerodynamics is the study of forces acting on an object as it’s in the air. There are 4 forces, lift, weight, thrust, and drag. It affects our everyday lives, from the windmills that so many of us rely on to the airplanes that so many of us use to travel.
Related Stories:
https://howthingsfly.si.edu/forces-flight/four-forces
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind-turbine_aerodynamics
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/for-kids-and-students/what-is-aerodynamics-grades-5-8/
Take Action:
https://bollingermotors.com/aerodynamics-in-action-engineering-with-computational-fluid-dynamics/
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rapidproto/students.08/pskim/Project3/prj3/aerodynamics%20in%20action.html
