Fluid Mechanics Flashcards
1
Q
air resistance
A
acts on a body travelling through the air, e.g. cyclist, sprinter, skier, shuttle etc..
movement on land is negatively impacted by air resistance
2
Q
drag
A
acts on a body travelling through the water, e.g. swimmer
movement in water is negatively impacted on by drag
3
Q
five factors affecting air resistance + drag
A
- velocity
- frontal cross-sectional area
- mass
- surface characteristics
- streamlining + shape
4
Q
velocity - affecting air resistance
A
- the greater an object’s velocity, the greater the air resistance + drag acting on the object
- velocity can’t be reduced to minimise air resistance or drag = don’t want to slow down cus its bad
- air resistance increases proportionally w/ velocity
5
Q
mass - affecting air resistance
A
- if an object is relatively heavy, air resistance will have less of an effect than it would on a lighter object
- but don’t wanna have heavy bikes cus it takes longer + more effort to generate
6
Q
surface characteristics - affecting air resistance
A
- the smoother the surface, the lower the air resistance or drag
7
Q
frontal cross-sectional area - affecting air resistance
A
- the larger the frontal cross-sectional area, the larger the air resistance or drag
8
Q
streamlining + shape - affecting air resistance
A
streamlining = the creation of a smooth air flow around an aerodynamic shape
the more streamlined or aerodynamic the shape of the body in motion, the lower the air resistance or drag
