Dragcoëfficiënt

Dragcoëfficiënt, often symbolized as cd, is a dimensionless quantity used in fluid dynamics to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment, such as air or water. It essentially represents how aerodynamically or hydrodynamically "slippery" an object is. A lower drag coefficient means less drag force for a given speed and fluid density.

The drag coefficient is determined by several factors, including the shape of the object, its surface roughness, and the Reynolds number of the flow. Streamlined shapes, like those of an airplane wing or a teardrop, typically have much lower drag coefficients than blunt or irregular shapes, such as a flat plate or a brick. This is because streamlined shapes allow the fluid to flow smoothly around them, minimizing turbulence and pressure differences that create drag.

Calculating the drag coefficient involves measuring the drag force acting on an object at a specific velocity in a particular fluid. The drag force is then divided by the dynamic pressure of the fluid and the reference area of the object. The reference area is typically the projected frontal area, but it can sometimes be the surface area or the wing area, depending on the context and the object's geometry. Understanding and minimizing drag coefficients is crucial in various fields, including automotive design, aeronautics, and sports, to improve efficiency and performance.