Aerodynamics
What are the four fundamental forces?
Energy transfer is..
The movement of energy from one object or place to another.
Matter is..
Anything that occupies space and has mass.
Downforce is..
An aerodynamic phenomenon used in motorsport vehicles to push them downward as the speed increases.
What was the first law of Newton's law of motion?
An object that is stopped will remain stopped, and an object in motion will remain in motion.
How do airplane wings generate lift?
Wings generate lift primarily through air pressure differences. Because of the curved shape of an airfoil, air travels faster over the top surface than underneath it. According to the principle, faster-moving air results in lower air pressure. The higher pressure beneath the wing pushes the wing (and the plane) upward.
What is the difference between energy transfer and energy transformation?
What are the different states of matter?
Downforce uses the principles of dynamics. As a car moves forward, air flows over and under it. Wings and aerodynamics act like inverted airplane wings, instead of creating lift, they use this airflow to push the car into the pavement.
Why is it harder to push a heavy box than a light one?
Newton's Second Law: Because a heavy box has more mass, it has more inertia. To give it the same acceleration as a lighter box, you must apply a significantly larger force.
What is drag, and how does it act on an aircraft?
How does heat move from one place to another?
What happens during a phase change?
A phase change occurs when matter transitions from one state to another, usually when thermal energy is added or removed. Changes include melting (solid to liquid), freezing (liquid to solid), evaporation (liquid to gas), and condensation (gas to liquid).
Does downforce make a car heavier?
No, the actual mass of the car remains completely unchanged. However, the aerodynamics makes the car feel much heavier at the tires.
If you push a wall, why doesn't it move?
Newton's Third Law: When you push the wall, you are putting force on it. In response, the wall pushes back on you with an equal and opposite force. Because the wall is attached to the ground, it pushes back with enough force to perfectly balance your push, resulting in no movement at all.
What are flaps, and when are they used?
Flaps are hinged panels on the trailing edges of the wings. When a pilot extends them, they increase the surface area of the wing. This allows the aircraft to generate significantly more lift and drag at slower speeds, letting the plane descend at a steeper angle without gaining dangerous airspeed.
What energy transfers happen in a light bulb?
When you flip the light switch, electrical energy travels down the wire to the bulb. The bulb then transforms that electrical energy into two new forms, light energy which is useful and thermal energy/heat, which is a non-useful transfer of energy, as it just warms up the room.
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Mass measures the exact amount of matter in an object (usually measured in grams or kilograms). Weight, however, measures the gravitational force acting on that mass.
How does speed affect downforce?
Downforce does not increase at a rate, it increases with the vehicle's speed. If a race car doubles its speed, the downforce produced doubles. Moreover, this means a car generates very little downforce at low speeds.
What happens to the motion of an object if the forces acting on it are completely balanced? (Will it speed up, slow down, or stay the same?)
It stays the same, balanced forces mean no force. An object that is sitting still will stay still, and an object already moving will keep moving at a constant speed.
Aerodynamic force increases with..
Speed
What is the rule of energy?
The rule states that energy can never be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred from place to place or transformed into a different type of energy
What are physical and chemical properties?
Why do race cars have to balance downforce and drag?
The same aerodynamic surfaces that push a car into the ground also create drag, which is air resistance with the car's motion. High downforce allows a car to take corners much faster, but the drag also slows the car down.
If you push a soccer ball and a heavy bowling ball with the exact same amount of force. Why does the soccer ball accelerate much faster than the bowling ball?
The heavier an object is, the more force is required to accelerate it. Because the bowling ball has much more mass, it resists acceleration much more.