Objective: My goal is to prove Bernoulli's
principle (ratio of top to bottom surface are is directly
proportional to lift). As an extension of Bernoulli's
principle, I will also investigate drag, and intend to prove
that the more streamline a vehicle is, the less drag it
produces. Materials: For lift, my materials include 4
airfoils-ranging from a rectangle, to extremely curved-a vacuum
(industrial) set on the blower mode w/ varying speeds of 30,
50, and 100 mph, and a jig to hold the airfoils. I measured
how much weight it would take to pull the airfoil back to its
original position. For drag, the materials and procedure were
basically the same, except I used model trucks with varying
degrees of streamlining.
Results: In the lift experiment, Bernoulli's
principle was proved. In the drag experiment, I proved my
hypothesis to be true, and also came out with a new design for
a truck that would reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency.
Conclusion: Bernoulli's principle proved to be
true and is used today in the aircraft manufacturing industry
to create more efficient planes. My hypothesis that the more
streamline a vehicle was, the less drag it would produce also
proved true. This idea is used in many cars and trucks today,
not only for fuel efficiency, but for cost savings.