comprehension Questions – Hypersonic Flight & Morkovin‘s Hypothesis
hear are some comprehension questions based on the provided text, ranging in difficulty. I’ve included answers at the very end, separated by “—ANSWER KEY—” so you can test yourself first!
Multiple Choice:
- What is the primary challenge in designing hypersonic aircraft?
a) Understanding how lift is generated at high speeds.
b) The unpredictable behavior of air at Mach 5 and above.
c) Finding materials that can withstand extreme temperatures.
d) Developing engines powerful enough for hypersonic flight.
- Morkovin’s hypothesis suggests that turbulence at hypersonic speeds is:
a) Completely different from turbulence at lower speeds.
b) Similar to turbulence at lower speeds, despite changes in air density and temperature.c) Impossible to predict accurately.
d) Only relevant to aircraft flying below Mach 5.
- Parziale‘s experiment used krypton gas and lasers to:
a) Measure the temperature of the airflow.
b) Create a visible marker to track turbulent motion.
c) Increase the speed of the airflow in the wind tunnel.
d) Ionize the air to create a plasma.
- According to Parziale,why is Morkovin’s hypothesis important for aircraft design?
a) It allows engineers to use existing design principles,simplifying the process.
b) It provides a new way to calculate drag at hypersonic speeds.
c) It eliminates the need for wind tunnel testing.
d) It guarantees the success of hypersonic aircraft.
Short Answer:
- Explain, in your own words, how compressibility affects aircraft design.
- What was the timeframe for the development of Parziale’s experimental setup? Why was it so lengthy?
- How could advancements in hypersonic flight potentially impact space travel, according to Parziale?
True or False:
- True or False: Morkovin’s hypothesis has been definitively proven by Parziale’s research.
- True or false: Designing a hypersonic aircraft using current computational resources is entirely feasible without simplifying assumptions.
Open-Ended:
- The article highlights the importance of both theoretical hypotheses (like Morkovin’s) and experimental validation. Why are both crucial for scientific and engineering progress?
—ANSWER KEY—
- b) The unpredictable behavior of air at Mach 5 and above.
- b) Similar to turbulence at lower speeds, despite changes in air density and temperature.
- b) Create a visible marker to track turbulent motion.
- a) It allows engineers to use existing design principles,simplifying the process.
- (Answers will vary, but should include the idea that changes in air density and pressure due to compressibility affect lift, drag, and thrust, and therefore need to be considered in aircraft design.) Compressibility means air isn’t constant, and changes in pressure and temperature affect how air flows around the aircraft, impacting its performance.
- The experimental setup took 11 years to develop. It was lengthy as of the complexity of creating and calibrating the system to accurately measure turbulence at Mach 6.
- Parziale suggests that hypersonic aircraft could potentially fly into space rather of relying on rockets, making transportation to and from low earth orbit easier and more accessible.
- False. The research moves scientists closer to understanding, but the hypothesis is not yet completely proven.
- False. Parziale explicitly states that simulating all the details for a mach 6 aircraft would be “impossible” with current resources.
- (Answers will vary,but should include the idea that hypotheses provide a framework for understanding and prediction,while experiments provide evidence to support or refute those hypotheses. Both are needed for a complete and reliable understanding.) Hypotheses guide research and provide a starting point, but experiments are needed to test those ideas and ensure thay accurately reflect reality. Without experiments, theories remain speculative; without theories, experiments lack direction and context.
