Hi there, I am very excited to post a new piece. Recently I learned the forces on an aeroplane. There are four forces on an airplane. They are:
- Thrust
- Drag
- Gravity
- Lift
Thrust is the forward force on an aeroplane. It makes the plane move forward. Have you blown a balloon and let it go? When the air inside goes out, it pushes the balloon forward. Thrust comes from an engine on an aeroplane. The engine pushes the air backward, then the air pushes the plane forward.
Drag is in the opposite direction of thrust. Have you put your hand out of a fast moving car? You would feel wind pushing your hand back. That is drag.
When an aeroplane moves forward, it is pushed back by the air, just like a hand stuck out of a moving car. In outer space, there is no air so there is no drag.
Gravity is a downward force on an aeroplane. Everyone knows that gravity comes from the earth.
Lift is an upward force. When an aeroplane is moving fast on a runway, and the wings are tilted up, the lift is strong enough to overcome the gravity! Then you are flying. Yay!
