Is air resistance dependent on mass?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the question of whether air resistance is dependent on mass. Participants explore various factors influencing air resistance, including surface area, shape, and velocity, while considering different scenarios such as falling objects and aircraft dynamics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that air resistance is primarily dependent on surface area, size, shape, and velocity, rather than mass.
  • One participant notes that two objects of the same size but different masses will experience equal air resistance initially, but the dynamics change as they fall due to the influence of air drag.
  • Another participant discusses how increasing the mass of an aircraft affects the lift required and consequently increases drag, suggesting a situational dependency on mass.
  • A later reply emphasizes that while acceleration is the same at the start for objects of different masses, the greater mass will experience a higher terminal velocity due to the effects of air drag.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between air resistance and mass, with some arguing that mass does not directly affect air resistance while others suggest that it plays a role in specific contexts, particularly in aviation.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects varying assumptions about the conditions under which air resistance is analyzed, such as the initial state of motion and the specific scenarios involving different objects or aircraft.

quietrain
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Is air resistance dependent on mass?

thanks!
 
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It's dependent on surface area.
 
The air resistance is a force that is imposed on whatever comes air with some relative velocity regardless of their mass. A styrofoam ball undergoes the same air resistance that a lead sphere of the same diameter.
 
Air resistance is dependent on size, shape, surface texture, and velocity of a body. Bodies equal in all these respects, but differing in mass, will experience equal air resistance.
 
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It depends on the situation.

If you increase the mass/weight of an aircraft (by filling it with more passengers) then the lift required to keep it in the air increases. The wing has to fly at a larger angle of attack to produce the extra lift and that increases drag.
 
CWatters said:
If you increase the mass/weight of an aircraft (by filling it with more passengers) then the lift required to keep it in the air increases. The wing has to fly at a larger angle of attack to produce the extra lift and that increases drag.
Changing the wing profile is an alteration to the shape.
 
alright thanks peeps!
 
If you drop two objects (identical except for the mass) from a height initially the acceleration is the same (when the speed = 0) but as air drag takes a role (as the speed comes into play) the greater mass will always have a greater acceleration than the lesser mass as well as a higher terminal velocity
 

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