Induced Drag: Which term refers to the drag portion arising from lift generation on a wing?

Induced Drag: Which term refers to the drag portion arising from lift generation on a wing?

• A. Induced Drag
• B. Parasite Drag
• C. Form Drag
• D. Skin Friction Drag

Answer: (A)

Induced drag is the drag that arises specifically from generating lift with a finite wing. When a wing creates lift, air is deflected downward behind it, forming wingtip vortices and downwash. This downwash makes the wing effectively see a higher angle of attack to maintain lift, costing energy and showing up as drag. The amount of induced drag scales with the amount of lift required and with how the wing is shaped—it's higher for lower aspect ratio wings and reduced by higher aspect ratio and efficiency (the Oswald factor). As speed increases, the required lift coefficient for a given weight drops, so induced drag decreases; at high speeds, parasite drag becomes more prominent. The other drag forms—parasite drag from form, skin friction, and interference—are not tied to lift production, which is why the term describing the lift-related drag is induced drag.

Induced drag is the drag that arises specifically from generating lift with a finite wing. When a wing creates lift, air is deflected downward behind it, forming wingtip vortices and downwash. This downwash makes the wing effectively see a higher angle of attack to maintain lift, costing energy and showing up as drag. The amount of induced drag scales with the amount of lift required and with how the wing is shaped—it's higher for lower aspect ratio wings and reduced by higher aspect ratio and efficiency (the Oswald factor). As speed increases, the required lift coefficient for a given weight drops, so induced drag decreases; at high speeds, parasite drag becomes more prominent. The other drag forms—parasite drag from form, skin friction, and interference—are not tied to lift production, which is why the term describing the lift-related drag is induced drag.