From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aerodynamics
means studying how
air
(or
gas
) travels around something moving through it. Streamlining to reduce
drag
in
vehicles
is a major field in aerodynamics.
Aircraft
design is another.
[1]
The study of gases that are not in motion is called
aerostatics
.
Aerodynamics comes from Aero (Air), and
Dynamics
(Moving).
For aircraft,
lift (force)
is the force pushing up.
Gravity
is the force pushing down. If lift is stronger than
gravity
the plane goes up. If gravity is stronger than lift, the plane goes down. In planes, lift is caused by airflow. Airplane wings are designed in such a way that, the air
molecules
prefer moving under the wing rather than above it, so as a result there is more air flowing underneath the
wing
compared to above it. This
motion
of the air gives upward lift to the aircraft.
See
Bernoulli's principle
.
Thrust and drag govern forward motion.
Thrust
is the force pushing forward, and drag is the force pushing backward. Thrust is usually made by either
propellers
or
jets
.
Drag
is the force pushing backward. Most drag is caused by air
friction
.
- ↑
A Dictionary of Aviation, David W. Wragg.
ISBN
9780850451634
, 1st Edition Published by Osprey, 1973 / Published by Frederick Fell, Inc., NY, 1974 (1st American Edition.)