How does the shape of a wing affect lift?
If we slice the wing of a typical commercial airplane and look at its cross-section, its shape looks like a stretched-out water droplet. This aerodynamic shape is referred to as an airfoil. Usually, the position of the airfoil in flight is set at an angle so that air first hits the wing’s front edge and bottom. This causes the air stream to split. The air above the wing travels faster over a curved surface than the air below the wing. The faster air has a lower pressure than the slower air, and it is this pressure difference that generates lift.
