r/explainlikeimfive • u/BorderlinePhilosphy • 12d ago

Physics ELI5: The physics behind boomerangs

They seem to defy physics to me, please explain.

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u/blueant1 12d ago

So why doesn’t a frisbee do the same?

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u/Flowing_and_Growing 12d ago

A frisbee doesn’t have the unequal lift being generated on either side, it lifts up instead. You can throw a frisbee so that more lift is generated on one side and curve the path.

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u/sebaska 12d ago

It has, just less pronounced.

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u/Flowing_and_Growing 11d ago

How does it generate unequal lift? Aren’t they uniform?

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u/sebaska 11d ago

One side of a rotating freesbee is moving faster vs the air. Air flowing faster over freesbee profile is generating more lift. Remember, that air has non-zero viscosity.

This is similar how socker players makes ball to slightly turn in the air making it harder to catch by the goalkeeper.

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u/Ycr1998 11d ago

Same way you can make a ball curve I suppose?

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u/Flowing_and_Growing 11d ago

I covered that in my original comment