this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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It's crazy that a 60 ton metal airplane can just fly (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 weeks ago by Buttflapper@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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I flew for the first time on a plane last week and I've seen planes take off at the airport. It looks crazy. But being on one is totally different like holy shit. The thing just FLIES. It just.... Soars... Through the sky! Like whoa man. Wtf... It's crazy. With how much these things weigh, it's insane to me the thing can just go up and bam, there we are, we're flying now. Like wow... Dude crazy.

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[–] HappycamperNZ@lemmy.world -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't know the full story, only that the fact air particles have to speed up over the top so they match up at the end is incorrect - one at the top, one at the bottom don't actually arrive at the end at the same time. There is something missing.

[–] Fleur_@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is wrong. Lift is generated from pressure difference. This pressure difference is caused by air moving faster over the top of the wing. I have no idea what you're talking about with air particles matching up at the end.

[–] lunarul@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

I vaguely remember seeing a video that explained that how it's usually explained is wrong. That's what they're probably referring to. But it wasn't that we don't actually know how it works, just that the common simplification is not technically correct (which happens often with these things).