
Bernoulli's Principle and Airfoil Lift
Easy
Does the shape of an object change how much air can lift it? You cut three strips of cardboard and bend them into different shapes: an airfoil, a flat curve, and a box shape. Each shape hangs from a string tied to the front of a fan.
When you turn on the fan, moving air flows over and under each shape. Bernoulli's principle (faster air has lower pressure) says the shape that forces air to travel farther over the top should lift the most. You measure how high each shape rises. The airfoil shape lifts the highest of all three.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that Bernoulli's Principle operates the best with objects that are in the shape of an airfoil.
Method & Materials
You will use a fan, 3 treads, 3 sheets of light but stiff cardboard, a roll of scotch tape, and a ruler to explore how the pressure of a fluid changes when the speed of the fluid increases, and how this affects the lift of different shapes.
You will need a fan, 3 treads, 3 sheets of light but stiff cardboard, a roll of scotch tape, and a ruler.
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See what’s includedResults
The results showed that the strip in the shape of an airfoil was lifted the highest, proving that Bernoulli's Principle operated the best in objects that were the shape of an airfoil.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting and unique because it explores how the pressure of a fluid changes when the speed of the fluid increases, and how this affects the lift of different shapes.
Also Consider
Experiment with strips of cardboard that have different thickness and weights to observe the results, or use winds of different speeds.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related videos
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