Aerospace
The math that gets things off the ground
16 live exhibits. Each one already works. Change a number and see what happens.
Open as board Play with these together. Solving one grows related exhibits.
QuadraticsThrowing a ball: the quadratic arc
Every throw, jump, and fountain draws a parabola.
Ratios & ProportionsE6B time and fuel: will it make it with a reserve?
Distance over groundspeed gives time; time times burn gives fuel. Then leave something in the tanks.
Linear EquationsE6B density altitude: the 120-feet-per-degree rule
Pressure altitude, plus 120 ft for every degree warmer than standard. Quick enough to do in your head.
Ratios & ProportionsWire resistance: longer and thinner resist more
Resistance grows with length and shrinks with thickness. Pick the wire that keeps it low.
QuadraticsJumping on the Moon: the same leap on other worlds
Same legs, same launch. Weaker gravity stretches the parabola, and the motion plays in real time.
Arithmetic & Number SenseE6B weight and balance: where the center of gravity lands
The CG is a weighted average. Load people, bags, and fuel, and watch the dot move in the envelope.
TrigonometryE6B descent planning: when to start down
A 3° path drops about 318 ft every nautical mile. Tangent turns that into a distance and a descent rate.
VectorsCrossing a river: where you aim vs. where you end up
Your speed and the current add as arrows. Aim straight across and you drift; aim upstream and you can land right on target.
VectorsCrosswind landing: splitting the wind into two parts
Pilots break the wind into “along the runway” and “across it.” That’s vector math at 60 knots.
Exponents & LogarithmsThe rocket equation: why rockets are almost all fuel
Speed grows with the logarithm of the fuel. Double the tank and you get far less than double the speed.
QuadraticsWing lift: why twice the speed means four times the lift
Lift grows with airspeed squared. Bernoulli, angle of attack, thin air, and the stall, all on one curve.
Exponents & LogarithmsOrbits: how fast to go around and never come down
An orbit is falling and missing the ground. Square roots and a 3/2 power set the speed and the period.
VectorsE6B wind triangle: heading and groundspeed
Point the nose into the wind just enough to track your course. Three vectors, one triangle.
Exponents & LogarithmsE6B density altitude, exact: standard atmosphere and humidity
The full standard-atmosphere formula, plus the dew point. Humid air is lighter, so it flies higher.
Exponents & LogarithmsE6B true airspeed: why you’re faster than the dial says
The airspeed indicator feels air pressure, not speed. Thin air at altitude makes true airspeed higher.
Exponents & LogarithmsThe Bartz equation: how regenerative cooling keeps a rocket throat from melting
Heating grows with chamber pressure to the 0.8 power and peaks at the throat. The fuel flows through the wall to carry it away.