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Supplies: | Oatmeal Container Candle |
| Shiver me timbers, blow me
down Believe it or not, scientist are still arguing (debating would be a better word, I guess) as to exactly what scientific principle should be used to explain why an airplane can fly. One explanation, the Bernoulli Effect, is commonly used to explain the phenomenon of flight . In this experiment we demonstrate the second explanation - the Coanda Effect.
Bet ya didn't guess that was going to happen - did ya? The Coanda Effect is the tendency of a fluid or air to follow the curved surface of a wall. In this case, air acts like a fluid and follows the contour of the round container. When the streams meet on the other side, they combine to blow out the candle. The Coanda Effect is used to explain how an airplane can fly. The airplane flies because the wings are forced upwards. Wings are forced upwards because they are tilted and deflect air downwards (generating lift). Both the upper and lower surfaces of the wing deflect air. The upper surface of the wing deflects air downwards because the airflow 'sticks' to the wing surface and follows the tilted wing due to the Coanda Effect.
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