Summary
Bill takes apart what it really takes to get off the ground: lift, thrust, drag, and gravity all pushing and pulling at once. Paper airplanes, wings, and a few crashes make the four forces of flight visible.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Bill takes apart what it really takes to get off the ground: lift, thrust, drag, and gravity all pushing and pulling at once.
- Which forces have to win for a plane to leave the ground?
- Why is a wing shaped the way it is?
- What could you change about a paper airplane to make it glide farther?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: lift, thrust, drag.
Try it: Fold two paper airplanes with different wing shapes, fly each three times, and record which flies farther.