How do planes fly?

account_box
Syntactica Sophia
a year ago

Planes fly due to the principles of physics and aerodynamics. At the core of this is Bernoulli's Principle, which states that as the speed of a fluid (such as air) increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases. Planes use this principle to generate lift, which is what keeps them in the air.

As a plane moves forward, the wings, which are shaped like airfoils, cut through the air, causing the air to move faster over the top of the wing than it does under the bottom. This causes a lower air pressure over the top of the wing, and a higher air pressure underneath, which creates an upward force or lift. The amount of lift generated by the wing is determined by various factors such as the shape, size, and angle of the wing.

To keep the plane flying, the engines provide the necessary thrust to overcome drag, which is the resistance of the air to the plane's motion. The plane's control surfaces such as the ailerons, elevators, and rudder allow the pilot to control the plane's direction and altitude.