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...

High schoolers examine how aerodynamic forces affect the flight of aircraft, animals and sports balls and projectiles (like a javelin or boomerang). They discover the origins of the boomerang and early usage in hunting.

Students study aerodynamic forces - lift and drag - and see how those forces affect cycling performance. They see how those forces are calculated and how

Which modification is the best? Using the scientific method, pairs determine the effects of each control surface on the distance of a glider's flight. The activity, section 16 in a 22-part unit on aviation, allows pupils to gain a better...

Take foldables to all new heights. Pupils build and fly different types of paper airplanes in the 14th portion of a 22-part unit on aviation. Groups collect data on distance and flight time for each plane and compare the data from the...

Students are introduced to basic aerodynamics through a discussion of thrust and drag and a hands-on activity. They examine the forces of thrust, drag, air pressure, aerodynamic shapes and Newton's Third Law Of Motion.

Learners engage in a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works. They create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. The students test their designs, which will be followed by a class discussion...

Students read a textbook about aerodynamics. They find out the definition of Mach number. They complete problems designed to demonstrate their ability to solve Mach number equations.

Students build a simple wind tunnel and test out 2 glider wing shapes at different angles of attack. They record their observations and results just as engineers do. There also is a "virtual wind tunnel" they can try to test aerodynamic...

Students study the concepts of weight and drag while making paper helicopters. They measure how adding more weight to the helicopter changes the time for the helicopter to fall to the ground. They apply what they examine to the work of...

Young scholars, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculations involving the motion of an airplane.

Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculations involving the motion of an airplane.

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.

In this International Space Station learning exercise, students are given the altitude changes in the space station on a graph from 2000-2004. Students answer 5 questions about the trends in the graph, the changes in altitude, the reason...

Students calculate the length of a side of a triangle using a trigonometric function. They calculate the measure of an angle given two sides of a triangle with a trigonometric function.

Students demonstrate their understanding of the equation of state by computing the gas constant from air properties. They use online research tools and apply integrated math problem-solving strategies to solve problems outside the realm...

Students read an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook on lift and an explanation on the FoilSim software package given below. They use FoilSim to evaluate the relationship between wing area and lift.

Pupils, after reading an explanation on lift from a NASA Web-based textbook and an explanation on the FoilSim software package given below, use FoilSim to evaluate the relationship between velocity and lift.

Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculation of area, velocity, and pressure in a wind tunnel.

In this Argand plane worksheet, students map problems dealing with theoretical aerodynamics to represent cross-sections of airfoils. They use Joukowsky mapping to sketch the image of a circle and compute the limits of a function. This...

Students read an explanation from the NASA Web-based "textbook", The Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics, then use the information in combination with data from other Web sites to solve single variable equations for distance (range), time,...

Students explore the concept of boomerangs. In this boomerang lesson, students throw homemade boomerangs at different angles to record maximum distance and if it returned or not. Students collect their boomerang data then create a...

Students complete calculations involving the structure and properties of matter. They engage in a variety of problem solving activities to help them determine the center of gravity.

Students complete calculus calculations involving the structure and properties of matter and determining the center of gravity.