The physics of sailing

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2024-11-24 20:00:06

The physics of sailing Sailing gives examples of physics: Newton's laws, vector subtraction, Archimedes' principle and others. This support page from Physclips asks How can a boat sail upwind? How can boats sail faster than the wind? Why are eighteen foot skiffs always sailing upwind? We introduce the physics of sailing to answer these and some other questions. But first: A puzzle. A river runs straight from West to East at 10 knots. A 10 mile race is held: the boats sail downstream, from West to East. The first heat is held in the morning, when there is no wind. The second heat is held in the afternoon, when there is a 10 knot wind from the West. In which heat are the faster times recorded?(Answer below.)

Sailing gives examples of physics: Newton's laws, vector subtraction, Archimedes' principle and others. This support page from Physclips asks

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