Unit 2 Assessment Flashcards
What are the 4 forces that affect a flying object?
Lift, Thrust, Gravity, Drag
What does Bernoulli’s Principle state?
As the speed of a liquid or gas increases, the pressure decreases, and vise versa.
What is an airfoil?
the cross section of a wing
What are the four types of wings on a bird?
elliptical, passive soaring (slotted), active soaring (long soaring), high-speed (delta)
What are elliptical wings used for and what do they look like?
turns and quick take-offs, has some speed that can’t be maintained. used to escape predators. kind of looks like a circle.
What are slotted wings (passive soaring/soaring) used for and what do they look like?
low flying, take off and landing with limited space. catches vertical columns of hot air called thermals to climb higher in the air. long feathers sticking out on sides, forming slots
What are long soaring wings (active soaring) used for and what do they look like?
long distance at low speed, conserving energy. gliding, soaring flights, letting birds to not need to beat wings often. long and thin
What are high speed wings (delta wings) used for and look like?
quick takeoff, tight turns, high speed that can be retained. flat, pointed, short, with strong wing loading (wing loading is the total mass of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing). wings fold into triangle
What are some birds with elliptical wings?
sparrow, some hawks, pheasants, robins
What are some birds with High speed wings (“delta wings”)?
flacons, ducks, swallows, ravens, doves
What are some birds with
Long soaring wings (“active soaring wings”)?
seabirds, albatrosses, gulls
What are some birds with
Soaring wings (“passive soaring wings” & “slotted wings”)?
vultures, eagles, pelicans, storks, birds of prey and big birds.
T or F: a fluid means a gas or a liquid in physics.
TRUE
T or F: When air flows above an airfoil, the air speed decreases.
FALSE
What are the 6 types of bird feathers?
scapular, alula, covert, primary, secondary, tail
What is angle of attack?
Angle of a wing compared to horizontal ground?
What do alula (leading edge) feathers do?
controls angle of attack, provides lift, reduces air resistance,
What do primary feathers do?
upstroke: thrust, lift, direction
downstroke, decreases air resistance.
What do secondary feathers do?
provides most lift by forming “perfect” airfoil.
What do tail feathers do?
steering, balance, maneuvering, braking.
How is a covert and scapular feather similar and different?
both are for covering the body and it enhances aerodynamics and reduces drag. scapular are at joints, covert at flat parts.
When air goes around an airfoil, what does it do?
slows down below the wing and speeds up above it.
What are the main characteristics that help a bird fly?
airfoil shape and the way they move them.
When a bird flies, how is the wing angled?
the front of the wing is higher
What are the characteristics of a bird’s bones?
hollow, rigid, light
What are the characteristics of a bird’s body (shape and weight placement)?
streamlined with weight at center
What is gliding?
a bird holds out its wings and doesn’t need much effort to stay in the air.
What is soaring?
A type of gliding that uses rising air.
Why can’t humans fly?
We are not strong enough to flap the wings.
How do planes reduce air resistance?
they have a smooth coating around their bodies.
How do planes use light materials?
they use aluminum and titanium, which are lighter metals.
