Lesson 6 of 7

Air and water resistance

Goal: Describe drag and how streamlining reduces it.

Puzzles for this lesson

Air resistance and water resistance are friction forces from air and water. Both are called drag.

Drag acts against the motion. The faster you go, the bigger it gets.
A bigger area means more drag. A parachute uses this to slow a fall.
A streamlined shape cuts drag. It is smooth and narrow, so air or water slips past it easily.
In a vacuum there is no air, so there is no air resistance at all.

Your turn

This lesson’s activity starts here in a moment.

I can say what drag is.I can explain how a streamlined shape reduces drag.

This lesson on one page. Tap it to make it bigger.

Force A push or a pull

Friction Opposes sliding between two surfaces

Air resistance Drag from moving through air

Water resistance Drag from moving through water

Streamlined Shaped to cut down drag

For teachers: AQA 3.1.3 · Pearson Edexcel 39.6, 41.4 in part · Cambridge 7Pf.04