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WHY?
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Every flight has certain elements that are included, whether the
flight is being done by a commercial airplane, military aircraft, or a
duck. The wings of birds and planes are sucked upward, creating the lift
necessary for flight. The curved upper surface of the wing forces the
air to increase its speed as it flows over the top in order to reach the
trailing edge of the wing at the same time as the air flowing in the path
below the wing. With the increase in speed on top, the pressure exerted
decreases. This change makes the pressure pushing up from under the wing
greater than the pressure pushing down on the top of the wing, so the
wing moves up naturally. There are two basic aerodynamic forces: lift
and drag. But these, alone, cannot produce flight. Movement is
necessary; but it doesn't matter what moves. Lift
is the force that pushes an object up, against the natural force of
gravity. It enables a plane, or other object, to climb into the air and
remain aloft during flight.
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ASSESSMENT: Can the student communicate
what they observed?
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