In the last experiment, you got an idea about how airplane wings work. But airplane wings aren't flat like a piece of paper. In this activity, you'll make a more realistic wing and try out some of your own designs!
What You'll Need:
5" x 8" (12 1/2 cm x 20 cm) index cards, or pieces of paper about the same size
Tape
Scissors
Pencil
Fold the paper and tape it so that the side view looks like black lines in the picture at right. Slide the pencil into the open space so that the wing hangs from the pencil. Hold the pencil near your chin, letting the paper swing freely. Tilt your head down and blow onto both edges of the wing. Air should flow as shown in the picture.
You should notice that the wing lifts slightly. This happens because the air moving over the top of the wing (light blue arrow) has to follow a longer path than the darker blue arrow. This means that the air pressure is lower on the top. This lowers the air pressure (pushing force) on the top. Since the pressure on the bottom is now higher the wing moves up.
Try some different shapes and see whether you can make a better wing! See the pictures below for some ideas. You can also trying cutting holes in the wings. Can you make a wing that lifts up more than the one pictured above?
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