Wing=Car Being Blown in Wind???

[TheNextHenryFord]

Car wing=Car Being Blown in Wind?

 

Well, I got to thinking... What if the very forces involved with the wing of an airplane, go to the car being blown away in the wind in a tornado of hurricane?

 

The reason I think this is, the wind pressure on the top of the wing, is lower. But the part under it is higher. So I was wondering, if it wasn't the force of the wind that was blowing cars away in the wind, but the low pressure behind the car.

 

When the wind hits the front of the car, the pressure increases, much like the shape of the wing. But when it gets to the back of the car, the flat-ish surface of the back creates drag, which is just a low pressure area, so that would make a slight SLIGHT, vacuum. So with the high pressure in the front, and the low pressure/partial vacuum in the back, could that be enough force to pull the car back, instead of the sheer wind force just pushing the car back? Please leave your questions and comments in the replies. Oh, and also in the poll if this is true or not.

 

Thanks,

TheNextHenryFord

[Xittenn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient

 

 

Notably, it is important to minimize lift, hence increasing downforce, to avoid the car becoming airborne. Increasing the downforce pushes the car down onto the race track—allowing higher cornering speed. It is also important to maximize aerodynamic stability: some racing cars have tested well at particular "attack angles", yet performed catastrophically, i.e. flipping over, when hitting a bump or experiencing turbulence from other vehicles (most notably the Mercedes-Benz CLR).

 

 

I remember having this discussion about Lamborghinis back in grade school when I was like ten. I still wanted a Lamborghini and still do.

[tomgwyther]

IIRC, In physics there is no such thing as a Sucking force. That is, the lower pressure on one side of the car isn't really what makes it move in high winds. It's more a pushing force of the air on the other side.

Or to put it another way; nature abhors a vacuum. it will want to move the high pressure air, to where the low pressure air is.

If there's a car in the way, it will move that too.

 

p.s. Have a look at this link to see what the pushing force of air can do to a car.

 

 

Enjoy!

Edited February 23, 2011 by tomgwyther