Is an atmosphere required?
2007-12-20 11:02:48 · 6 answers · asked by Thomas E 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I'm not sure if I agree with the above answer. In a vacuum the frisbee would not fly because there would be nothing to provide the lift. The frisbee would leave your hand and fall straight to the ground (not straight down but would fall down due to gravity and no additional lift keeping it up). The spinning of the frisbee interacts with the surrounding air which provides the lift. The spinning itself would not make the frisbee fly. The following site has information about the lift generated by a frisbee.
http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/645fall2003_web.dir/Mike_Abrams/Lift.htm
It shows that you need air to provide the lift.
2007-12-20 11:16:12 · answer #1 · answered by beveridgio 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
no. it would still fly, but it would fly the same way throwing a ball would, just by how hard your throw it. a frisbee works in the same way a plane does, it creates low pressure on the top and high pressure on the bottom, forcing it upwards. with no air no pressure can build up anywhere.
so technically i guess it does fly, but not in the same way that it does with an atmosphere, it would be no different then throwing a ball or some other object that doesnt provide its own lift as a frisbee does.
2007-12-20 11:24:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sure, it would "fly" but not because of the aerodynamic factors working on it on Earth. If you tossed it the frisbee would of course move away from you and the spin you impart on it will stabilize it as it "flies." The spin of a frisbee, by the way, has practically nothing to do with its aerodynamical flying through the air but simply stabilizes it, like a spinning top is stable.
2007-12-20 11:39:48 · answer #3 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. No atmosphere required. But while the frisbee will still keep its orientation because of its angular momentum, it will not get an additional lift effect from it.
2007-12-20 11:08:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you tossed a frisbee in a vacuum, it would fly forever, or rather move forever since theres no air to stabilize it in a certain position. It would probably just rotate forever.
2007-12-20 12:57:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
sure, a frisbee will 'fly' just as you throw it... a perfect parabola (or an ellipse, if you go relativistic).
there is no lift in a vacuum
2007-12-20 11:18:46 · answer #6 · answered by Faesson 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋