Running head: APPLYING BERNOULLIS PRINCIPLE

Applying Bernoullis Principle

Kenley Sperry
Physics 1010
M. Weiss

APPLYING BERNOULLIS PRINCIPLE

Applying Bernoullis Principle

Bernoullis principle, sometime referred to as Bernoullis equation, states that when the
velocity of a moving fluid (liquid or gas) increases the pressure within the fluid decreases.
Hewitt (2014) states that Bernoullis Principle can be best explained by the law of conservation
of energy. As a fluid moves into a narrower pipe, the volume of moving fluid does not change so
this given volume must move a greater distance and thus has a greater velocity. With an increase
in velocity there is also an increase in kinetic energy, which must be balanced by the decrease in
pressure of the given volume (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2012). The easiest way to
observe this is to watch the flow of a river, when the river is wide the flow is slow but when the
river is narrow and constricted the flow is fast. Many people use this principle every day without
ever realizing it (Bernoullis Principle, 2008). One example is when you block a hose with
your finger to increase the spraying distance you are utilizing Bernoullis principle, because you
are changing the diameter of the opening which causes a volume to travel at a greater velocity.
This principle has many practical applications in everyday life. It is applied in carburetors,
atomizers, aspirators, sports, sail boats, cars, and many more. The most well-known application
of Bernoullis principle is the airplane.
AIRPLANE
Bernoullis principle is the sole reason that an airplane is able to leave the ground. The
way that Bernoullis principle works in the flight of an airplane is because of the aerodynamic
design of the wings. Smith (1992) explains that this aerodynamic design makes it so the top of
the wing is curved while the bottom is flat, this results in the top portion of the wing to have a
greater surface area and thus a greater distance for air to travel. When air encounters the wing of
an airplane air splits and travels over the top and bottom of the wing and must reconnect on the

APPLYING BERNOULLIS PRINCIPLE

other side of the wing at the exact same time, or a vacuum would occur. Since these two paths of
fluids must reconnect, the top flow of air must travel at a faster velocity because it has a greater
distance to travel in the same amount of time. Thus the air flowing over the aerodynamic wing
has an increased velocity which creates a lower pressure, while the air flowing beneath the wing
has an unchanged speed and an unchanged pressure. Beiser (1991) states the higher pressure on
bottom and lower pressure on top creates lift and causes to plane to rise. This can also be applied
to the movement of a sail boat, when it is not moving with the wind (Bernoullis Principle,
2008).
AUTOMOBILES
Automobiles have two distinct utilizations of Bernoullis principle, the use of a carburetor
and their aerodynamic design. Carburetors use air as the moving fluid, which mixes with a little
bit of liquid (gasoline) to create internal combustion within the vehicle of the engine. In a
carburetor, air is forced through a tube that passes through a narrow portion where a choke is
located. The narrowing of the tube causes an increase in velocity and a decrease in fluid
pressure. The fluid is then forced through the choke, because the greater atmospheric pressure
forces the liquid to the less pressurized area. When the liquid travels through the choke it mixes
with the flowing air (Bernoullis Principle, 2008). This is the same concept utilized in
aspirators, but these devices use water as their moving fluid instead of air (The Columbia
Electronic Encyclopedia, 2012). An automobiles aerodynamic design is the second way they use
Bernoullis principle. A vehicle that has been designed with an aerodynamic shape creates an
upward force that lifts the vehicle up, because air is moving faster over the vehicle. The shape
also reduces the drag, the air resistance that opposes thrust, encountered by the vehicle. Both of
these factors enable the car to move at greater speeds.

APPLYING BERNOULLIS PRINCIPLE

MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS
There are many miscellaneous objects utilizing Bernoullis principle that people use
every day. Perfumes and Colognes have a very high air pressure in the bottle, but when pressed
the air pressure is greatly reduced. This change in pressure draws the perfume from the bottom
of the can and then is ejected from the spray nozzle. Chimneys utilize Bernoullis principle by
using low air pressure. The wind blowing over the top of the chimney creates a lower air
pressure and the low air pressure at the top of the chimney draws air upward. This is why a
windy day is a great day to have a fire. Schrier and William (1984) prove that baseball players
use Bernoullis principle when they throw a curve ball. In this case the thrower has put a spin on
the ball, which causes the air on top to move opposite the spin and air on bottom to move with
the spin. Therefore the pressure is higher on top of the ball because the air is moving fast than the
air underneath the ball. Schrier and William (1984) claim that this pressure difference is what
forces the ball downward and creates the curveball. Kites are another machine that demonstrates
this. A kites light design makes it good for light, but what keeps it in the air is the difference in
air pressure. Kites experience slow moving air underneath and faster moving air above, which
causes the object to lift (Bernoullis Principle, 2008). And there are many other devices that
utilize Bernoullis principle such as; a boomerang, Bunsen burners, water pumps, sprinklers,
reservoirs, and many concepts of engineering.
Airplanes, automobiles, chimneys, perfumes, kites, and many other objects have all been
designed and made by applying Bernoullis principle. Some of these things rely on Bernoullis
principle to function and without it they would be completely useless. Bernoullis principle has
changed the way that objects are made and how we utilize certain things. We would have a much
different world today if we had never applied Bernoullis principle.

APPLYING BERNOULLIS PRINCIPLE

References
Beiser, Arthur. (1991). Physics, 5th ed. MA: Addison-Wesley.
Bernoullis Principle. (2008). Science Clarified. Retrieved from
http://www.scienceclarified.com/everyday/Real-Life-Chemistry-Vol-3-Physics-Vol1/Bernoulli-s-Principle.html
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 6th ed. (2012). Columbia University Press. Retrieved
from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/bernoulli-principle.html
Hewitt, Paul. Conceptual Physics. 12th ed. (2014). MA: Addison Wesley
Schrier, Eric and William F. Allman. (1984). Newton at the Bat: The Science in Sports. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons
Smith, H. C. (1992). The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab
Books.