Leumas Physics

Power Against Quadratic Drag

P = (1/2)·ρ·C_d·A·v^3

What it says

The power needed to overcome quadratic aerodynamic drag, equal to the drag force times speed, scales with the cube of speed.

Symbols

SymbolQuantityDimension
PPower (W)M L^2 T^-3
ρFluid density (kg/m^3)M L^-3
C_dDrag coefficient (dimensionless)1
AFrontal area (m^2)L^2
vSpeed (m/s)L T^-1

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Connects to

Filed under Fluid dynamics · derive through it in the explorer