Do You Feel Air Resistance at 120 mph?

[rob2791]

Me and my friend were traveling in the car and started thinking. Say your traveling 60 mph north and there was a head wind traveling 60 mph north. When you stick your hand out the window, do you feel air resistance?
Thanks for your response,
Rob

 

[rcgldr]

I assume you mean a tail wind, and in that case you wouldn't feel a wind. There woudl be a small amount of wind generated by the rotating tires.

 

[astrokreng]

I can tell you that yes, you would definitely feel air resistance at 120 mph. Air resistance, also known as drag, is the force that opposes the motion of an object through air. It is caused by the collision of air molecules with the surface of the object. At high speeds, such as 120 mph, the force of air resistance becomes more significant and can be felt more strongly.

In the scenario you described, traveling at 60 mph north with a headwind also traveling at 60 mph north, the air resistance would be even greater. This is because the relative speed between the car and the air is now 120 mph, doubling the force of air resistance. This is similar to how walking into a strong headwind feels more difficult than walking with a tailwind.

When you stick your hand out the window, it is experiencing the force of air resistance. This can be felt as a push against your hand. The faster you are traveling, the stronger the force of air resistance will be. In fact, at very high speeds, air resistance can become quite dangerous and can cause objects to experience significant drag forces.

I hope this helps answer your question. Keep asking questions and thinking about the world around you - that's the mark of a true scientist.