Ideas in the bath - thinking about drag

Your Own Flight
Ideas in the Bath

Imagine you are having a bath or visiting the swimming pool. Here's what you could do to investigate the force called drag.

Move your hand through the water, slowly and then quickly. How does the drag change as your hand moves faster?
Slide your hand sideways through the water, and then with the palm flat on. How does the drag change?
Imagine running into the pool from the shallow end. Why does it get harder as the water gets deeper?
Think about diving - or try it out. How can you dive smoothly through the water? What happens if you land on your front? What does this tell you about drag?

You can probably answer these questions just by thinking about them. Or try them out next time you are in the water.