Abby+Mina

=The Physics of FLYING! =

Atmospheric Pressure and Speed
Atmospheric pressure helps lift the airplane, and causes to operate flight instruments such as the altimeter, airspeed indicator, rate-of-climb indicator, and manifold pressure gauge. But how does atmospheric pressure actually make the plane fly? Air has mass, which is affected by the attraction of gravity. Mass, or the weight of the plane, creates a force. This force is exerted in all directions. Pressure is the effect on bodies in the air, and pressure is directly proportional to density. In other words, as density increases, pressure increases. As density decreases, pressure decreases. We can consider Bernoulli's Principle of Pressure while trying to understand how airplanes fly. Bernoulli's Principle of pressure explains how there is a decrease in pressure when there is an increase in speed of movement. This is what happens to the air passing over the curved top of the airplane wing. As the airplane speeds up as it gains height into the air, the pressure decreases, which allows the plane to stay up without being pulled to the ground.

Momentum Effects of Airflow
If the wingers were shaped like teardrops, then the speed and changes of the air passing over the top and bottom would be the same on both sides. There are increased pressure in the front and back of the wing. There is reduced pressure in the middle of the wing because of the distance. The molecules travel a greater distance in the middle because of the curvature of the upper surface of the wing.

[[image:forces.jpg]]

 * ====Thrust====
 * ====Weight====
 * ====Drag====
 * ====Lift====

Weight ties in the force of gravity. The airplane overcomes the force of gravity by balancing out the force of gravity with the force of air resistance. The plane overcomes drag by the two parallel engines under the wings, causing the plane to travel forward.

Works Cited: "Airplane Aerodynamics." //Welcome to the Free Online Private Pilot Ground School//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. . "Forces on an Airplane." //NASA - Title...// Web. 20 Dec. 2011. . "How Airplanes Fly." //Aeronautics Learning Laboratory for Science Technology, and Research (ALLSTAR) Network//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .