Question

An airplane wing generates lift due to a difference in air speed above and below the wing. If the wings are both at the same height, what term is the same on both sides of the Bernoulli equation? Calculate the change in pressure (P-bottom - P_top) a wing experiences if the air moves at 245 m/s above the wing and 222m/s below the wing. The density of air is 1.29kg/m^3. Calculate the lift force the plane experiences if it has two wings each with area 4.00 m^2. Mars' atmosphere has a density of 0.020kg/m^3. If the airplane were on Mars, it would feel more, the same, or less lift?

Answer 1

Basic equation applicable = P + 0.5 $\rho$ v^2

a) if both the wings are at same height, the velocity will same resulting in null pressure difference

b) Pbottom - Ptop = 0.5 $\rho$ ( 245^2 - 222^2) = 0.5 ( 1.29 ) ( 60025 - 49284) =6927. 945 Pascals

c) Lift forc e= 6927. 945( 4) =27711.78 N

d) lift is directly proportional to dnsity, mars density is less than earth's so an airplane will experience less lift

e