What would happen if you place a 1m by 2 m sheet of aluminum (extruded) and place it on the roof of your car driving at 35 mph? Assume the plate is aligned with the direction of the relative wind.
- Calculate the thickness of the boundary layer if it remains laminar. Compute the drag.
- Calculate the thickness of the boundary layer if it transitions to turbulence. Compute the drag.
- Calculate the Reynolds number and determine where along the plate, the how transitions from laminar to turbulent. Can you use a mixed calculation that takes into account the contribution to the thickness and drag from both the laminar and turbulent parts of the B.L.?