drag coefficient

noun

: a factor representing the drag acting on a body (such as an automobile or airfoil)

Examples of drag coefficient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The cat could also have the drag coefficient of a cylinder (cW = 0.8). Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 24 July 2023 Shrouding those wheels would make a big impact on the cab's drag coefficient, and for Super Truck I, the company did just that. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 27 Oct. 2023 The focus was then on reducing drag, and the 904 had a drag coefficient of 0.33—not bad for a racing car, even for those of us now inured to EVs with Cds in the 0.2 range. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 16 Oct. 2023 While Fg has a very simple form and is merely the product of the mass m of the cat and the acceleration caused by gravity g, the air resistance depends on the cross-sectional area A, the drag coefficient cW, the air density ρ and the velocity v of the falling object: FR = ½ x ρ x A x cW x v2. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 24 July 2023 But pretty is as pretty does, and the new body boasts an excellent drag coefficient of 0.29—a useful improvement over the C4's 0.34 figure. Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023 There has been some sacrifice of low drag for downforce, but the drag coefficient of the final car is still about 0.33. Ray Hutton, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2023 In addition to its low drag coefficient, the new body has little aerodynamic lift, with slightly more in front than in back to promote high-speed understeer. Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 28 July 2023 The overall effect has been to endow the E-Class with a subtly more muscular road presence, and details such as flush door handles and carefully sculpted front and rear bumpers have helped deliver a drag coefficient of 0.23. Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 26 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drag coefficient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drag coefficient was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near drag coefficient

Cite this Entry

“Drag coefficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20coefficient. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

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