What’s the physics behind a frisbee action like a boomerang?
In: Physics
To do that you need to throw it up at a somewhat sharp angle. I’m not 100% on the physics, but if I’m not mistaken, once it runs out of vertical momentum, it doesn’t want to continue horizontally because it’s not traveling in the direction the frisbee is the most narrow. It causes a lot of extra air resistance. Think about when you stick your arm out a car window. If you keep your hand flat you can cut through air relatively easily. But if you angle your hand it will force your arm up or down, depending on which angle you turn your hand.
When you throw it up, it travels both vertically and horizontally. When it runs out of vertical momentum, it doesn’t want to continue horizontally, and starts falling back down. The angle makes it glide back in the direction it came from, being cushioned by air below it.
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