What effect does lift have on a flying bird?
1 Answer
Jan 8, 2018
Lift keeps the bird in the air.
Explanation:
A bird has weight -- if totally unbalanced, the weight will bring the bird to the ground like a dropped tennis ball. Some birds need to keep flapping their wings. Birds that can soar for extended periods (like an eagle or hawk) use lift to provide an upward force.
If a soaring bird is flying in level flight, the lift provided by the wings is equal and opposite their weight. Therefore the net force on it, in the vertical direction, is zero.
I hope this helps,
Steve
