Question

An Andean condor with a wingspan of 250 cm and a mass of 13.5 kg soars along a horizontal path. Model its wings as a rectangle with a width of 31.0 cm.

Determine the difference, Ap, between the pressure, Ptop, at the top surfaces of the condor's wings and the pressure, Pbottom, at the bottom surfaces.

Answer 1

According to Bernoulli's principle, the pressure on top of the wing is reduced due to the faster flow of air over the upper surface, resulting in a net upward force or lift. Using the provided values, we can calculate the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the wing, which is approximately 92902.4 N/m².

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Bernoulli's principle, the pressure on top of the wing is reduced due to the faster flow of air over the upper surface, creating a net upward force or lift.

To find the difference in pressure, we can use the formula:

ΔP = 0.5 * ρ * v^2

Where ΔP is the pressure difference, ρ is the density of air, and v is the velocity of the air.

In this case, we need to calculate the velocity of the air over the upper wing surface. Assuming the air speed relative to the bottom surface is the same as the aircraft's speed, which is 60.0 m/s, we can calculate the velocity of the air over the upper surface using the equation:

v_top = v_bottom + v_aircraft

Substituting the given values, we get:

v_top = 60.0 + 60.0 = 120.0 m/s

Now, we can calculate the pressure difference:

ΔP = 0.5 * 1.29 kg/m³ * (120.0 m/s)^2

Plugging in the values, we find that the pressure difference, Ap, is approximately 92902.4 N/m².