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Q:

Do boomerangs and Frisbees fly due to the same reason - lift, drag, and angular momentum?

A:

Yes, boomerangs and Frisbees are governed by the same four forces of flight, including lift and drag, that influence the flight of everything else that flies in our atmosphere. Angular momentum contributes to the stability of both boomerangs and Frisbees and allows boomerangs to return to the thrower due to gyroscopic precession and dissymmetry of lift.

 

Lift is generated by the air pressure difference that is created between the top and bottom of the Frisbee or boomerang. When a Frisbee or a boomerang spins it makes the air above it move faster than the air underneath it, and the high-pressure slow air underneath it provides enough of a force to lift the object.

 

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