Ask an Explainer
Q:
How does an airplane stay aloft? How can something as insubstantial as air support all that weight?
A:
Air is not empty space; it is certainly substantial. We like to say that “air is stuff,” because it has mass and weight. In this video, you can watch an Explainer demonstrate the properties of air pressure using Magdeburg Hemispheres. The difference in air pressure creates a force of flight called lift, which is how airplanes stay aloft.
Posted on May 3, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Categories: