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drag
Sign in to saveAlso known as air resistance, drag force, fluid friction, fluid resistance
retarding force on a body moving in a fluid
Drag is the force that slows down objects moving through air or water, like the resistance you feel when moving your hand through water or the air pushing against a fast-moving car. It matters because engineers need to understand and reduce drag to make vehicles more efficient, while scientists study it to predict how objects move through fluids.
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- Drag (fluid dynamics)
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Drag is the component that is parallel to the flow direction, and lift is defined as the component of the aerodynamic force that is perpendicular to the flow direction.
In fluid dynamics, drag, sometimes referred to as fluid resistance, and also known as viscous force, is a force acting opposite to the direction of motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fluid. This can exist between two fluid layers, or between a fluid and a solid surface. Drag forces tend to decrease fluid velocity relative to the solid object in the fluid's path.