How Does A Wing Actually Work?
Lift is an important concept, not only in flying but also in sailing. This week I'm talking to Olympic Sailor, Hunter Lowden. But before I get to the physics of sailing I thought I would explain...
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Shh... I've snuck into minutephysics' studio to explain how a wing actually worksHang on, something doesn't feel right. Ah, that's better.Now everyone knows that a wing generates lift due to its characteristic shapeSince air travels farther over top of the wing, it must go faster than the air underneathso that both streams meet up simultaneously at the trailing edgeAnd according to Bernoulli's principle, faster flowing air exerts less pressure than theslower air beneath the wing This pressure difference creates an upwardforce -- lift. Job done. Right? NopeThis simple explanation taught in many textbooks and classrooms has obvious problemsLike how could a plane fly upside down? Some planes like the Wright brothers' had...
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Shh... I've snuck into minutephysics' studio to explain how a wing actually worksHang on, something doesn't feel right. Ah, that's better.Now everyone knows that a wing generates lift due to its characteristic shapeSince air travels farther over top of the wing, it must go faster than the air underneathso that both streams meet up simultaneously at the trailing edgeAnd according to Bernoulli's principle, faster flowing air exerts less pressure than theslower air beneath the wing This pressure difference creates an upwardforce -- lift. Job done. Right? NopeThis simple explanation taught in many textbooks and classrooms has obvious problemsLike how could a plane fly upside down? Some planes like the Wright brothers' had...
