Question

Provide an example from sports or human movement in which form drag OR surface drag is manipulated by athletes or equipment designers, either to increase it or decrease it. Write a definition of the one you picked (form drag OR surface drag). Explain how and why this manipulation occurs, and what the goal is. Why does your example fit form drag OR surface drag?

Answer 1

Example: - speed skaters and cyclist reduce form drag by mainipulate their body.

Swimmer reduce the form drag by streamline the body.

Speed skaters and cyclist reduce the form drag by bending or folding their body.

Drag on base ball or cricket ball are example of surface drag.

Form drag - When any object moves inside fluid/air that is their is relative motion between object and fluid/air. Molecules of flluid/air strike with object and their is change in momentum of molecules, this result in net force on object (Newton 3rd law). By reducing the front expose are of object, form drag will be reduced.

As explain above if speed skaters and cyclist bend or fold their body or streamline the body to reduce body area striking with fluid/air molcules, which result is decrease in form drag.