How do wings work?
Abstract
The popular explanation of lift is common, quick, sounds logical and gives the correct answer, yet also introduces misconceptions, uses a nonsensical physical argument and misleadingly invokes Bernoulli's equation. A simple analysis of pressure gradients and the curvature of streamlines is presented here to give a more correct explanation of lift.
- Publication:
-
Physics Education
- Pub Date:
- November 2003
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0031-9120/38/6/001
- Bibcode:
- 2003PhyEd..38..497B
- Keywords:
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- Middle;
- High school;
- Advanced;
- Mechanics;
- Physics update