Asked by Jennifer
When a shuttlecock falls, which orientation creates the most air resistance?
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Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
Air resistance (drag) depends mainly on the frontal area and the shape presented to the airflow. A shuttlecock produces the most drag when its wide feathered skirt faces into the airflow (i.e., "skirt-first" or feather-cone first, cork-up). In that orientation the feathers present the largest cross-sectional area and act like a little parachute, trapping air and producing a big pressure difference and turbulent wake, so drag is maximal.
By contrast, when the heavy cork leads (cork-first) the frontal area is much smaller and drag is lower. (Note: a shuttlecock usually flips to cork-first in normal flight because its center of mass is in the cork and the aerodynamic center of pressure is in the skirt, producing a stabilizing torque.)
By contrast, when the heavy cork leads (cork-first) the frontal area is much smaller and drag is lower. (Note: a shuttlecock usually flips to cork-first in normal flight because its center of mass is in the cork and the aerodynamic center of pressure is in the skirt, producing a stabilizing torque.)
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