Exploratorium
Balancing Ball
Demonstrate lift to the class that is studying aerodynamics. In the stream of air produced by a blow dryer, little physicists place a wad of tissue paper and a spherical figure to compare. Or, if you have a vacuum cleaner and beach ball,...
Yale University
Airplane Mathematics
The history of aerodynamics is rich with experimentation and international collaboration. Author Joyce Bryant relays this dynamic past and provides math word problems using the formula of lift, the force that makes airplanes fly. She...
Curated OER
Build Your Own Parachute
Students study the basics of parachuting. In this flight and aerodynamics lesson students make a simple parachute and investigate different variables that can cause potential problems.
Teach Engineering
What a Drag!
Stop and drop what is in your hand! Pupils investigate how form effects drag in the 12th part of a 22-part unit on aviation. Groups create equally weighted objects and determine which one falls the fastest by collecting data.
Curated OER
Wind Tunnel
Students examine how wind tunnels are used for research and development. In this aerodynamics lesson students are given instructions on how to develop different types of wind tunnel.
Curated OER
The Science of Flight in Relationship to Birds and Gliders
Students study man's first form of flight which truly imitated the free-flight of birds--the glider. They examine such important contributions to the invention of the glider, such as Sir George Cayley, Jean Marie LeBris, Otto Lilienthal...
Curated OER
100 Years of Flight
Students investigate Bernoulli's principle of air pressure and how it
relates to the lift of an airplane. Students identify various Aeronautical vocabulary terms. Students construct a paper glider and experiment with the control surfaces...
Curated OER
The Science of Lance Armstrong
Live Strong! High schoolers will discuss some of the reasons behind Lance Armstrong's success in cycling and chart those reasons into four categories: Physiology, Psychology, Equipment, Training/Strategy. They will then choose one sport...
Curated OER
Complex Analysis: Analyticity and Harmonic Functions
In this harmonic function worksheet, students summarize the theorems on analyticity, differentiability and the Cauch-Rieman equation. They identify the characteristics of a harmonic function. This three-page worksheet contains...
Curated OER
Complex Analysis: Harmonic Functions
In this harmonic function worksheet, students explore harmonic functions and construct a harmonic conjugate. This three-page worksheet contains three problems, with explanations and examples.
Curated OER
Flying Tube
Students launch flying tubes. In this aeronautics lesson, students gather the materials and follow the procedures to create a paper tube that generates lift as it travels.
Curated OER
Flying Tube
Students investigate how a spinning paper tube generates lift as it travels forward.
NASA
Nasa: Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics
Includes exhaustive information and a wealth of activities pertaining to aerodynamics and the physics of flight.
NASA
Nasa: Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics
This site from NASA uses a colorful graphic to illustrate why objects reach terminal velocity. Provides equation for the terminal velocity of an object. Graphic is accompanied by a simple explanation.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Inventors and Inventions 2: Air and Space
After discussing important flying inventions, students explore technological design by making paper airplanes.