Properties of Air
What do you learn about air by blowing up a balloon?
That air occupies space.
What are the forces of flight?
lift, thrust, drag and gravity
What direction is gravity pointed?
Gravity is pointed down. That is what keeps us down on earth.
True/False: You lose out on a third of your taste buds during flights.
True! About a third of your taste buds are numbed at altitude, which is why that $8 Mediterranean snack box always tastes, eh, just OK.
Why does a balloon expand when I blow air into it?
Because air takes space.
What is the science of dealing with the building and flying of an aircraft?
Aeronautics
What is the direction of Thrust
Forward, the direction of the thrust force depends on how the engines are attached to the aircraft.
True/False: Pilots and co-pilots are required to eat the same meals
False! Though it’s technically not mandated by the FAA, most airlines require their pilots and co-pilots to eat different meals on the plane, in case one is tainted.
If I were to take a balloon and put it on a scale, which is heaviest, a deflated balloon or an inflated balloon? Why?
An inflated balloon, because air has mass
______ is caused by the pull of Earth's gravity on our body. A flying object must overcome this force.
Weight
What direction is Lift pointed?
It is pointed in the opposite direction of gravity. It is pointed upwards.
True/False: You lose 8 ounces of water from your body for every hour you fly
True! That dry air saps the water from your body, to the tune of about 8 ounces an hour. Which, if you do the math, is roughly a two-liter bottle during a 10-hour long-haul flight. Stay hydrated, friends.
What elements is our air made up of?
Oxygen and Nitrogen
________ is the forward push made when an engine turns a propeller.
Thrust
What is the direction of Drag?
Drag is the opposite of thrust. Drag is backwards. Drag acts like friction in the air (wind).
Which part of the plane is the safest place to be during a crash?
Again, plane crashes are totally rare. But a 2007 study by Popular Mechanics looked at 36 years of NTSB crash data and found the back of the plane gave passengers the best chance for survival.
A hot air balloons rises when heat is applied (they use fire). Would a hot air balloon rise if the fire is replaced with Ice? Why or why not?
No, the reason is because Hot air rises and cold air sinks. Thus, the hot air balloon would not rise.
______ or air resistance, slows down the forward movement of an aircraft.
Drag
Draw the force diagram of an airplane
[on board]
At any given time, how many people and planes are in the air?
The exact numbers, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware, are on average, 9,728 planes with a total of 1,270,406 people. That would make the skies the 156th most populous country in the world, right between Estonia and East Timor.