Effects of Angle of Approach, Surface Area, and Surface Type on Drag
Our experiment's purpose was to determine the effects of frontal surface area, angle of approach and surface type on drag, which was measured in Newtons. We placed an experimental cart, attached to a force sensor, inside a wind tunnel with the different variables attached to a piece of cardboard, size dependent on the trial. We then turned the wind tunnel on and took readings of the drag on the cart. Using a three-factor Design of Experiment, we analyzed this data, concluding that frontal surface area had the largest affect on our experiment, with an effect of .092 Newtons. Surface type was literally irrelevant in our experiment, with an effect of .006 Newtons. This data proved our hypothesis wrong, which stated that angle of approach would have the greatest effect. Instead, it gave us an effect of .058 Newtons. All of our variables had much less effect than we would have hoped, but the results were different enough that we could tell which factors were significant and which were not.
Research Done By:
Calvin Lech
L'Anse Creuse H.S. North
Joe Setchell
L'Anse Creuse H.S. North
Warren Consolidated Schools