http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_airplanes/cub_airplanes_lesson05.xmllessontext/xmlIntegrated Teaching and Learning Program, airplanesdragair resistanceNewtonflightlaws of motionenergyCross-sectional AreaDragFluidGasKinetic EnergyLiquidMoleculeSurface Area

This lesson explores the drag force on airplanes. The students will be introduced to the concept of conservation of energy and how it relates to drag. Students will explore the relationship between drag and the shape, speed and size of an object.

When designing airplanes, engineers keep in mind the force of drag and the principle of energy conservation. Since drag slows down an airplane and makes it less efficient (requiring more fuel), an engineer’s goal is to design a plane that reduces drag. Minimizing the amount of drag acting on an aircraft may require modifying the wing or fuselage shapes. Know that drag is one of the four main forces acting on an airplane.Describe how the shape, area and speed of an object affects drag. Identify which of the four forces of flight opposes the force of drag Recognize why understanding drag is important to engineers designing airplanes 50TeachEngineering.orgTom RutkowskiAlex ConnerGeoffrey HillMalinda Schaefer ZarskeJanet YowellCampbell, Neil A., Reece, Jane B., and Mitchell, Lawrence G. Biology, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1987.Guyford, Stever H., Haggerty, James J. Flight, Time Inc., 1969.http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/forces.htmlhttp://people.nas.nasa.gov/~rogers/images/http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/fltmidfly.htmJones, Charlotte Foltz. Mistakes That Worked, Doubleday, 1991.World Book Encyclopedia. Polymers, 2002.S11416C8International_Technology_Education_Association-ITEA_STL_StandardsTechnologyStandard 18. Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use transportation technologies. 012S11424F0ColoradoSciencee. Use tools to gather, view, analyze, and report results for scientific investigations about the relationships among mass, weight, volume, and density66United StatesCopyright 2012 - Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulderhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2010-08-236Teacher