Science in Toyland

Catch the Wind

Set your sails!



Try different sail positions and see if you can make the sailboat go in different directions: with the wind, across the wind, and into the wind.

When you sail with the wind, the wind pushes on the sail and the boat moves in the same direction.

When you sail into the wind, the wind pushes on both sides of the sail. The boat moves forward because faster moving air over the outside of the sail creates lower pressure than air moving over the inside of the sail. The difference in air pressure between the two sides of the sail moves the boat forward. This is an example of the Bernoulli Principle. How does the sail act like an airplane wing?

Toy sail boats, paper and model airplanes and frisbees are excellent for catching the wind.

Catching the wind exhibit (35k)

Science in Toyland was created by the California Museum of Science and Industry, with support from members of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative.
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