Question

At low values of incidence, the center of pressure

• A. moves forward with increase in incidence
• B. moves backward with increase in incidence
• C. is at the aerodynamic centre
• D. lies at quarter chord distance

Hint:

Center of pressure location varies with angle of attack and airfoil shape.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

For an airfoil, the center of pressure is the point where the total sum of a pressure field acts, causing a force and no moment about any axis. As the angle of incidence increases (the angle between the chord line of the airfoil and the oncoming airflow), the pressure distribution over the surface of the airfoil changes. At low angles of incidence, the effect is such that the center of pressure tends to move forward along the airfoil. This phenomenon occurs because the lift force increases, with the distribution of pressure shifting towards the leading edge.

Therefore, for low values of incidence, the center of pressure moves forward with an increase in incidence. This behavior can be explained by the increased lift and changes in pressure distribution over the airfoil's surface.