Science - Flight | Test #6 Flashcards
What is a Galileo Thermometer?
The Galileo Thermometer tells the temperature of a room based on the densities of liquids
The orbs inside the thermometer rise or fall depending on the temperature of the liquid surrounding the orbs
ρ
The ρ is the Greek letter “rho”, which is often used as the representation of density
Homogeneous Materials
Homogeneous Materials have a uniform consistency throughout its properties, including its density
eg. Distilled Water which has a density of 1 g/mL if the temperature is around 4 degrees Celsius
Heterogeneous Materials
Their density will vary throughout the material
Example: Ice
~0.9 g/mL at 0 degrees Celsius
There are mathematical formulas to calculate the density of heterogeneous materials, but we usually rely on calculating the average density of the material
Air Pressure and Density
Increased Air Pressure can increase the Density because it decreases the Volume
Density will decrease as the temperature increases because it creates greater Volume
But trapped air would decrease the density further in certain spots where the air is trapped
In addition, the boiling point of objects will decrease with the lower pressure
eg.
Water boils at 95 degrees Celsius at 5000 feet above sea level
At 10 000 feet above sea level, water boils at 90 degrees Celsius
Altitude
This is caused by the lower amount of air pushing from above, and the weaker gravitational pull of the Earth
Oxygen (O2)/Nitrogen (N) density
Nitrogen is less dense than Oxygen
Density and Balloons
Humans understood that heated air has a lower density compared to the surrounding air, which would enable it to float
Example: Sky Lanterns
Manned Balloon Flight
Montgolfier Brothers in 1783
The balloon was made up of cotton canvas and paper
The hot air filling the balloon was less dense than the surrounding air
The issue of sustaining flight in a balloon came from the lack of a permanent heat source on the balloon
The solution came with the pocketing of buoyant gases within the balloon
Rubber Balloon
The first rubber balloon was created by Michael Faraday in 1824 as he experimented with the trapping of hydrogen gas
Hydrogen Gas is highly reactive with an oxidizer such as Oxygen
Hydrogen’s one Electron is very susceptible to be taken by another atom such as Oxygen in order to create a bond
The rapid bonding of the atoms creates a release of energy, usually as an Exothermic reaction
Heluim
An Inert Gas because its two Electrons are very stable within its shell, and does not share the electrons
It is a Noble Gas because it is non-reactive
Can Helicopters fly upside down?
Helicopters can fly upside down, but most helicopters are not designed for flight upside down
Helicopters which can fly upside down can only do so for a couple of seconds at most
Background
of rotorcraft Flight
Humans have known for centuries that rotor-based flight was possible with the invention of bamboo copters
Leonardo da Vinci’s Aerial Screw design worked off the same premise of rotating blades for flight
Forces on Helicopters
Weight is the amount of force that gravity is pulling down on an object
Drag is the force of resistance as the helicopter flies through the air
Thrust is the force that propels the helicopter forward through the air
Lift is based on Bernoulli’s Principle
and is created using Airfoils
Lift
Created using Airfoils
The air travelling above the airfoil is faster than the air travelling below the airfoil
This creates lower pressure above the airfoil, and higher pressure below the airfoil, which creates Lift
For Helicopters, the rotation of the airfoils is needed to artificially create enough airspeed to allow for Lift
Stability
The rotation of the airfoil blades of a helicopter will create instability due to Torque, which is based on
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
For example, if the blades of a helicopter rotate in a clockwise rotation, the helicopter will need to rotate in a counterclockwise rotation
Tail Rotors are often used to counter the Torque force on helicopters by pushing the fuselage to rotate against the Torque rotation
Cyclic Pitch
Cyclic Pitch is the pilot’s ability to change the angle of the rotating airfoil blades to allow for movement in the air
Moving the cyclic forward causes the nose to point down, which increases airspeed but decreases altitude
To move Left or Right, the blades are tilted so there is greater Lift on the blades opposite the direction the pilot wants to go
Gliders
Gliders are fixed-wing apparatuses that are unpowered
The only method of properly using gliders was through jumping from towers or balloons
Gravity creates thrust for the gliders to fly
The better gliders could fly for 300 - 400 metres
Airplanes
Airplanes maintained the same general design of gliders, but looked to engine technology to create Thrust
Early designs utilized steam-powered engines to create the necessary propulsion to fly
Several inventors in the 19th century were trying to create self-sustaining powered flight
The Wright Brothers’ Flyer
In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their Wright Flyer near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
The first flight was piloted by Orville Wright
It flew 37 metres in about 12 seconds
Components of the Wright Flyer
The Propellers at the rear of the plane created the Thrust
The Propellers were powered by a 4-cylinder gasoline motor
The Wings were Airfoils that created Lift through Bernoulli’s Principle
The Elevators at the front of the plane allowed the plane to fly up and down
Rudders at the rear of the plane allowed the plane to move left and right
Airfoil Design
The Airfoil design of the Wright Flyer utilized a curved wing design
It was believed that this would cause greater stability by reducing the pressure differential above and
below the wing
The Wright Flyer also allowed for Wing Warping, which allowed one side of the wing to gain greater Lift
This allowed the plane to turn Left or Right easier
Light Gases
Hydrogen and Helium were the lightest gases on the Periodic Table of Elements
Hydrogen
Helium
Nitrogen
Which American brothers are often cited as building the first airplane?
Orville and Wilbur Wright are often credited with the building of the first controlled heavier-than-air flight in 1903.
