In the engineer's lift formula L = Cl * (1/2)p * v^2 * s, what does p represent?

In the engineer's lift formula L = Cl * (1/2)p * v^2 * s, what does p represent?

• A. Wing Surface Area
• B. Velocity
• C. Density of air
• D. Coefficient of Lift

Answer: (C)

Lift comes from dynamic pressure, which is 1/2 times air density times velocity squared. In the formula L = Cl × (1/2) × p × v^2 × s, the p term is the air density, because dynamic pressure scales with how much air mass is present in a given volume. Higher density means more air to push aside for the same speed and wing area, producing more lift. If density decreases, lift falls unless you increase speed or wing area. The other factors are the wing area (s), the velocity (v), and the lift coefficient (Cl).

Lift comes from dynamic pressure, which is 1/2 times air density times velocity squared. In the formula L = Cl × (1/2) × p × v^2 × s, the p term is the air density, because dynamic pressure scales with how much air mass is present in a given volume. Higher density means more air to push aside for the same speed and wing area, producing more lift. If density decreases, lift falls unless you increase speed or wing area. The other factors are the wing area (s), the velocity (v), and the lift coefficient (Cl).