• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / How does the spin of a Frisbee make it fly and hover?

How does the spin of a Frisbee make it fly and hover?

July 5, 2020 by Karen Hill

Because the tops of flying discs and Frisbees are rounded, air goes over them faster and has less density, creating lift, as with airplane wings.

Air gets trapped underneath the disc and pushes upward, slowing the fall rate.

The thrust of the throw gets the lift process started, but the spin only adds stability and keeps the disc from wobbling or tipping.

Related Facts

  • How Did the Frisbee Get its Name, How Did it Originate, and Who Invented the Frisbee?
  • How does a hovercraft hover across the water?
  • How Can a Helicopter Hover?
  • Where does the expression "fly by night" come from and What does "fly by night" mean?
  • Why Do Geese Fly In a V Formation, Why Is it More Efficient, and How Does it Help Birds Fly Further?
  • How high can a housefly fly and which insects can fly the highest?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How does a boomerang come back to you after you throw it?
Next Post: Would a yo-yo “sleep” in zero gravity? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy