Take Flight!

(Answers)
Nelson Literacy 6b pages 104 to 108 1.
Without looking at the dictionary, see if you can figure out the meaning of the following words based on what you already know (background information) and the how the word is used in the article (context). Confirm your guess by checking the dictionary

counteract act against

deliberately made or done on purpose

enable to make someone or something able

resistance the slowing down or stopping effect that one thing exerts on another

streamlined a shape designed to offer as little resistance as possible

thermals currents of warm air rising through cooler surrounding air

thrust move or push forward

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Name the forces involved in flight. thrust drag lift weight

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What does each force do? thrust pushes the plane forward drag friction against the rushing air creates drag, which holds the plane back lift lift from the aerofoil wings pulls the plane up a

weight the weight of the plane pulls it down 4. What did you learn about gaining and controlling lift by reading about eagles and helicopters? - the faster the birds speed, the greater the lift - a helicopter pilot can angle the blades to control lift and make the helicopter go in any direction What is drag or air resistance? Drag is the force that works against the direction of flight of anything thats flying through the air. Why is drag an important concept in flight? Drag is an important concept in flight because the amount of drag can be affected by shape: streamlined shapes have low drag. Furthermore, drag limits how fast things fly, so the more drag there is, the more thrust is needed to achieve lift. 7. How does the angle of attack affect lift and drag? When the angle of attack is increased, the amount of lift is increased. If the angle of attack is too great, the flow of air over the wing is broken creating turbulence this increases drag and reduces lift. 8. What creates lift? Aerofoil shaped wings cause air to move across the curved top surface at a faster rate than below; this causes reduced air pressure above the wing compared to below the wing, which causes lift. 9. How are planes designed to reduce drag? All parts of a plane are streamlined to help air flow smoothly over surfaces; the tail fin and wings of a jet are swept back to help reduce drag at high speed. 10. What other type of aircraft not mentioned in the text can soar like an eagle? A glider. 11. How do you think the boomerang works as a bent aerofoil wing? A boomerang moves in a circle, so the air moves over one bent side and this keeps the boomerang in the air. 12. Why do you think fuel is stored in a jumbo jets wing? Fuel on a jumbo jet is stored in the wings to evenly distribute the weight and to increase lift. b

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