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Why That Shape?

    Frisbees, in comparison to many projectile objects, are somewhat of an odd shape. But! There are many reasons for that. For starters, as discussed before, a frisbee needs to have the ability to be thrown --and not like one throws a ball, but with a rotation. This is one of the reasons that they have a lip on them. This lip creates a handle handy for throwing. The lip also (and more importantly) leaves a hollow interior. As shown below, this pocket is how the frisbee gains lift. The air flows under the lip, and presses up on the middle area of the frisbee. 
Picture
http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211_fall2013.web.dir/Matthew_Keith/Airfoil.html
Picture
http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211_fall2013.web.dir/Matthew_Keith/Airfoil.html
    The shape of the frisbee was designed along the same lines as an airplane wing: "Because of the Frisbee's curved shape, the airflow above it must travel at a higher velocity than that underneath, thereby creating low pressure above and high pressure below the disk. This pressure difference provides the lift. " (Buddies, 1). ​This lift is how the frisbee, when thrown correctly can achieve so much distance.
Picture
https://www.amazon.com/Discraft-175g-Ultrastar-Frisbee-White/dp/B004C0SSXU
Checkout this Frisbee Video!
      On average, frisbees for ultimate are fairly lightweight; regulation frisbees are 175 grams. In the scheme of things this is fairly light. The weight of the frisbee comes back to the idea of gravity. As the frisbee flies through the air gravity is pulling the frisbee towards the earth with a force that is equal to mass times gravity. The value of gravity on earth is constant, so the only way to make  frisbee that is less impacted by gravity is to make them have less mass. Taking the regulation ultimate frisbee for example, there is a gravitational force of 175 x 9.81 = 1716.75N acting downwards of the frisbee. 
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  • Home
  • The Rules
  • The Throw
  • The Shape
  • The Game
  • Bibliography