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Air Friction

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Air Friction Air friction, or air drag, is an example of fluid friction.

Unlike the standard model of surface friction, such friction forces are velocity dependent. The velocity dependence may be very complicated, and only special cases can be treated analytically. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/airfri.html Air friction is simply resistance. This friction is created when a mass moves against a stable force like air, and is the measure of force needed to allow movement. For an easy visual, try pushing a cube or a triangle through water. You will understand the principal of streaming as the means to minimize that friction affect. When objects move on land, air particles are pushed away. This means more opposing forces against the moving object (in this case car and bicycles), reducing its speed, making it stop more quickly. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_air_friction_affect_motion_of_object_like_car_and_bicy cle Air friction is due to the object moving through the air having to move molecules of air aside. The larger the object the more air has to be moved aside and so the larger the air friction. Even surfaces parallel to the direction of motion of the object generate friction since molecules of air collide with the surface and are so pushed in the forward direction by the collision. By Newton's Second Law (Action and Reaction), they push back on the object, thereby generating more air friction. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99362.htm

The air resistance that an object encounters is proportional to its cross-sectional area and to its velocity. Notice, that like friction, air resistance opposes motion. That is, if the object is rising through the air, air resistance acts downward; if it is falling, air resistance acts upwards. Notice that in the accompanying diagram, that the air resistance vectors vary in length. This signifies that its magnitude changes as the projectile's velocity changes. The air resistance, or drag force, is generally expressed as AR = Fdrag = kvn where k and n are constants that depend on the geometry of the object and the medium through which it is moving. When terminal speed is reached, net F = 0 AR + mg = 0 -kvn + mg = 0 -kvn = -mg kvn = mg v = (mg/k)1/n Obviously, the larger the values of k and n, the smaller the object's terminal speed. http://dev.physicslab.org/Document.aspx?doctype=3&filename=Dynamics_AirResistanc e.xml

Size and shape are the two factors that affect air resistance. Air resistance works with surface area, so the more surface area, the more air resistance. Think about when you drop two pieces of paper: one crumpled and one flat. The crumpled one falls faster because there is less air resistance acting on the paper. Air resistance pushes up while gravity pushes down. This is true for objects falling straight down. If the object was falling left or right, then air resistance would be opposite. If both gravity and air resistance pulled down, then air resistance wouldn't be air resistance! Air resistance is the opposite of gravity for an object falling down. It pushes up while gravity pushes down. http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Air-Resistance-Its-All-Around-You-225326.html

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