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Rocket

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

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Thermometer

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

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Water Wave

Theme C - Wave Behaviour 

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Magnifying Glass Tilted Right

Theme D - Fields

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Microscope

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

Hey there, future Einsteins! Let&#39;s dive into the fun world of fluid resistance and its relationship with energy.

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	<li>
	Fluids: Both gases and liquids are classified as fluids. These are substances that can flow and take the shape of their containers. You&#39;re breathing in a fluid right now &ndash; air!
	</li>
	<li>
	Viscous Drag Force: This is a resistance force caused by the movement of an object through a fluid. When you&#39;re biking against a strong wind, that&#39;s viscous drag force giving you a hard time!
	</li>
	<li>
	Kinetic Energy Transfer: When a moving object (like you, the cyclist) moves through a fluid (like air), some of its kinetic energy (energy of movement) is transferred to the fluid. This is the sneaky process that makes you pedal harder!
	</li>
</ul>

Imagine you&#39;re a pizza delivery person zooming on your bicycle. You might think, &quot;Why is it so hard to pedal when the wind is against me?&quot; That&#39;s air resistance, my friend, not an invisible force field!

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Air resistance is often deemed negligible in simple physics problems, but in real life, it&#39;s rarely so. It&#39;s like an invisible, untiring bully trying to slow you down!

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When an object moves through a fluid, it creates a sort of chaos (or &quot;stirs&quot; up the fluid). This stirring process is complicated and depends on a lot of factors. But for simplicity&#39;s sake, we just need to know it leads to a force known as viscous drag force.

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Let&#39;s talk energy. You know how you start to feel drained after pedaling for a while? That&#39;s because some of the energy from your cycling (your kinetic energy) is being sneakily transferred into the air you&#39;re moving through (this is the air resistance!).

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And here&#39;s a bonus fact - not all fluids are the same energy absorbers. Try sprinting underwater in a pool versus running in a field. You&#39;ll find swimming way more tiring, right? That&#39;s because water absorbs more of your energy than air does, causing you to tire out faster.

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To wrap it up, next time you&#39;re riding your bike against the wind, or you&#39;re feeling super tired swimming laps, remember &ndash; you&#39;re not weak, you&#39;re just experiencing the exciting physics of fluid resistance!

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Keep up the curiosity, young physicists, and remember that the world is your laboratory!

The Unrealistic Nature of Neglecting Air Resistance

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Higher Level

Physics HL

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

The Unrealistic Nature of Neglecting Air Resistance

Table of content

Key concepts

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

The Unrealistic Nature of Neglecting Air Resistance

Table of content

Key concepts

Unlock the Full Content!