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Boomerang Fun |
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THE AERODYNAMICS OF BOOMERANG The boomerang is a scientific marvel as it
envisions the aerodynamic as well as aviation principles coupled with
many theorems of Physics. It is all the more striking, nay, bewildering
that these principles of aviation and theorems of physics were
unerringly utilized thousands of years before they were even invented. How does a boomerang float in the air? The same aviation principle. The wing of an
airplane is designed in such a way that at the topside the wind speed is
much more greater than at the bottom side. The result? Because of the
very high velocity of wind at the topside of the wing, the pressure is
small and at the same time since the velocity of wind at the bottom side
of the wing is much, much less, the pressure is great. This pressure
pushes the wing up.
In the case of boomerang it is also acting on the
same principle – The Bernoulli’s principle for the simple reason
that its design too is in the form of a horizontal half – tear drop! How does a boomerang return to the thrower? When you throw a boomerang you not only impart great speed but also a certain amount of spin. The spin at the top is more than at the bottom. Because the design enables the top of the wing to move forward and at the same time spin forward as well, for the same reason, the bottom portion spins not very fast but it surges forward and effects the lift. Topside spins forward – backside spins backward. Result? When the boomerang loses momentum the spin creates a gyroscopic precession, which propels it to turn to the left enabling it to fly back in a circle to whoever threw it. |
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