1. The Science of Kites Unit Question: Why is flight important to humanity?
Grade 8 Science
J. Kelly

2. What are the different parts of a kite?

4. What are the different designs?
box
diamond
delta
cellular
Sky dancer

5. stunt kite
parafoil
dragon
birds
fish

6. Kite Materials
The materials you choose to make your kite out of will affect how it will perform
Factors that will affect what materials you will choose to use
How much you will use your kite
How much time you want to spend on your kite
The design of your kite

7. Kite Materials
If you are going to use your kite only once paper and tissue paper may be ok. If you plan to use it more you might need a material that is more durable like lightweight cotton
Some materials will allow you to glue or tape them to the frame others may require you to sew… think papers vs. nylon

8. Kite Materials
Most kite sails are nylon, polyester, paper, or plastic.
Most kite spars are wood, fiberglass, plastic, or carbon.
The best kite materials are lightweight and strong.

9. Why a Kite Flies? It’s all about LIFT, DRAG and GRAVITY!!!
How is Lift created: Bernoulli’s principle
Air particles that travel faster create an area of low pressure
Air particles that travel slower create an area of high pressure
Pressure tries to even out from areas of high to low
A lift force is created
Wind is made up of moving particles (atoms) which move from one direction to another

10. Lift and your Kite
The amount of lift required to cause a kite to rise depends on the overall weight of the kite in comparison to the surface area of its sail(s).
The less amount of lift required, the easier your kite will fly with minimal wind.
This means you should aim to create a very light kite with a large surface area!
Your kite should be equal on each side of its center of balance.

11. Forces acting on the Kite
In order for the kite to fly, the upward lift force must be able to overcome the downward force of gravity.

12. Drag and your kite
A flying kite will disrupt the continuous flow of air around it, creating resistance against the air flow. This resistant force is known as "drag“.
Drag reduces the lift of a kite and will cause it to fly lower on the horizon.
A longer tail will help to stabilize your kite by adding drag below the kite without adding too much weight. The tail will help keep the kite pointed into the wind.