Expert: Paul Soderman - 12/31/2010

Question
QUESTION: sir
I am a undergraduate student.I had asked you a question about how to find a topic on which i can develop a research paper.You know something that i can publish as my own.please help .
kind regards
jason

ANSWER: How about measuring the drag of objects in water by measuring the time they take to sink, accounting for buoyancy and the acceleration of gravity of course.  This would be low speed drag, probably laminar flow. Varying Reynolds number would be harder to do, but possible.  Results for spherical or other common shape objects could be compared with published data.

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QUESTION: sir
could you please suggest me some books on which these methods are given.Also i wanted to know about different methods for measuring the drag of automobile.
thanks
jason

Answer
Sorry Jason, I thought you were in an aeronautics study program.  If not, this subject may require a lot of reading on your part starting with books on aerodynamics and fluid mechanics.  Drag is complicated - I may have led you down the wrong path.  Perhaps I could help if I knew what your academic program and this assignment is all about.