You are at the park throwing a stick for your dog to fetch. When you throw a smooth straight stick by one end, it tends to tumble end over end as it flies through the air. However, when you throw a stick that still has some leaves attached to one end, it flies through the air without tumbling and travels in a smooth arc with the stick leading and the leaves trailing. This automatic alignment occurs because
A. the center of mass of the stick is no longer near its geometric center.
B. the center of pressure is at the same point as the center of mass in the stick, stabilizing its flight.
C. the viscosity of the air near the leaves is highest, producing torques which oppose any rotation the stick had after leaving your hand.
D. the drag forces acting on the leafy stick are not uniform around the stick's center of mass.
Answer:D
You are at the park throwing a stick for your dog to fetch. When you throw a smooth straight stick by one end, it tends to tumble end over end as it flies through the air. However, when you throw a stick that still has some leaves attached to one end, it flies through the air without tumbling and travels in a smooth arc with the stick leading and the leaves trailing. This automatic alignment occurs because
A. the center of mass of the stick is no longer near its geometric center. B. the center of pressure is at the same point as the center of mass in the stick, stabilizing its flight. C. the viscosity of the air near the leaves is highest, producing torques which oppose any rotation the stick had after leaving your hand. D. the drag forces acting on the leafy stick are not uniform around the stick's center of mass.