Ever wondered about the fascinating physics behind a boomerang's return flight? Uncover the intriguing interplay of forces that enable this ancient tool to perform its unique aerial acrobatics. Prepare to delve into the captivating world of boomerangs.
Boomerangs probably came about through a trial and error process.
When we think of boomerangs, we usually think of the curved devices that return to you when you throw them, but there are actually two different kinds of boomers: returning and non-returning
- Returning: These are specially crafted, lightweight pieces of wood, plastic, or other material. Most of the time, they measure 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm) across and are effective hunting weapons because they are easy to aim and they travel a good distance at a high rate of speed
- Returning: These have specialized components that make them behave a little differently than an ordinary bent stick. They travel farther and have much greater accuracy.
The wings are set at a slight tilt and they have an airfoil design
they are rounded on one side and flat on the other, just like an airplane wing.
- This design gives a wing lift because air particles move more quickly over the top of the wing than they do along the bottom.
There are five variables involved in a boomerang flight
The force of gravity, the force caused by the propeller motion, your throw, uneven speed, the uneven speed of the wings, and the force of any wind in the area
- Boomerang to actually travel in a circle and come back to its starting point, all of these forces have to be balanced in just the right way
- To accomplish this, you need well-designed boomerangs and a correct throw
- Only way to consistently make good throws is to practice good technique
- Practice your throw and catch it with both hands to avoid clapping your hands together
- Spin is the most important thing
- When throwing with your right hand, be careful to snap your wrist as you release so that it has a good spin to it
A boomerang is just a propeller that isn’t attached to anything
Propellers, like the ones on the front of an airplane or the top of a helicopter, create a forward force by spinning the blades, which are just little wings, through the air.
- The force acts on the axis, the central point, of the propeller. To move a vehicle like a plane or helicopter, you just attach it to this axis.
How to Throw a Boomerang
Hold the boomerang with the V-point pointing toward you, and the flat side facing out.
When you push a spinning wheel, the wheel reacts to the force as if you pushed it at a point 90 degrees off from where you actually pushed it
This is because with a spinning object, the point you push isn’t stationary, it’s rotating around an axis
- You applied the force to a point at the top of the wheel, but that point immediately moved around to the front of wheel while it was still feeling the force
In this scenario, the wheel would quickly straighten out after turning slightly because as the point of force rotates around the wheel, it ends up applying force on opposite ends of the wheel which balances out the effect of the force.
But constantly pushing on the top of this wheel would keep a steady force acting on the front wheel, which would be stronger than the counterbalancing forces.
