Download Four Forces of Flight

Activity 4.2.1 Four Forces of Flight
Introduction
Aerospace design engineers use aerodynamics, the science of motion of air and
forces acting on bodies in air, to design airplanes that will fly. One of the jobs of an
aerospace engineer is to create wing shapes that produce lift as the air moves over
the wings. If an airplane is going to fly, the amount of lift must be greater than the
force of gravity, and the amount of thrust produced by the engine must be greater
than the drag force created by air resistance. Wing shapes that provide lift and have
the proper angle of attack (the angle at which a wing meets the flow of air) can then
help an airplane overcome gravity. Research has shown that a wing with a
streamlined shape can overcome drag with the thrust of engines. The less drag on
an airplane, the less power it needs to move.
In this activity you will learn the forces acting on an airplane during flight. Knowledge
of these forces will help you as you investigate atmospheric flight later in this unit.
Equipment
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Gateway notebook
Pencil
Procedure
Watch the video and your teacher’s demonstration to answer the questions below.
1. Label the forces acting on the block.
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PLTW Gateway – Flight and Space Activity 4.2.1 Four Forces of Flight – Page 1
2. What forces would act on a block if it was sitting on the table? Draw a diagram
and label the forces.
Follow along with the presentation on the Four Forces of Flight, and answer the
questions below.
3. What is a scalar quantity? List a few examples
4. What is a vector quantity? List a few examples
5. On the drawing below, label the four forces acting on an airplane in flight.
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6. Summarize the following four forces that affect an aircraft.
Thrust
Drag
Lift
Weight
7. Describe simply what will happen to an airplane in flight in the following
conditions:
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Thrust greater than drag
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Drag greater than thrust
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Weight greater than lift
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Lift greater than weight
8. In order for an airplane to remain in level, steady flight, what must happen to the
four forces?
© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
PLTW Gateway – Flight and Space Activity 4.2.1 Four Forces of Flight – Page 3