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You're listening to Sleep Tight Science.
Did you know that the Concorde, a supersonic jet, was so fast that if you ate breakfast in London, you could land in New York in time for breakfast again.
What? Hello, friends, and welcome back to Sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers answers your questions about science.
Have you ever looked up into the sky and seen a long white trail behind a fast -moving airplane?
That's usually a jet.
It might look small from the ground, but up close, jets are giant flying machines that zoom through the sky at incredible speeds, sometimes faster than the speed of sound.
In a past episode, we talked all about airplanes, how they fly, the four special forces that help them stay in the air, lift, thrust, drag, and weight, and how their wings are different from birds.
If you haven't heard that one yet, don't worry, you can still enjoy this episode, but you might want to go back and give it a listen another time.
This time we're learning all about the amazing world of jets.
Jets are a special kind of airplane and they work a little differently.
They're louder, faster and often used for super long trips, really high flights or speedy missions across the world.
Some jets carry passengers, some deliver packages, and some are built for fun tricks and loops in the sky.
We are going to start this topic by reviewing the four forces of flight, then we'll learn about the main parts of a jet like the wings, the tail, the cockpit, and especially the jet engines which push jets forward at incredible speeds.
feeds. Then we'll answer the question, what is a jet?
We'll learn how jets are different from other airplanes and explore the various types, like the huge passenger jets that take people on vacations, the sleek private jets that some people use for work, and the super fast fighter jets used by the military.
We'll also take a look inside a jet engine and discover how it works by sucking in air, squishing it, lighting it on fire and blasting it out the back.
And of course, we'll finish up with some fun and funny jet facts that you can share with your family or think about while you drift off to sleep.
Maybe you'll even dream of flying your own jet someday are you comfy and cozy and have your seat belt fastened let's get started let's first do a quick review in our do you know about airplanes episode In our previous episode, we talked about how flight works.
Every flying object uses four forces to get off the ground and stay up in the sky.
Lift. This is the upward force that helps the plane rise into the air.
It's made by the shape of the wings.
Thrust. This is the push that moves the plane forward. it can come from a propeller or a jet engine drag this is the air pushing back on the plane slowing it down kind of like the wind in your face when you run wait that's the pull of gravity trying to bring the plane back down to Earth For any plane to fly, the lift has to beat the weight and the thrust has to beat the drag.
Now, let's talk about airplanes.
There are lots of kinds.
Some are small and slow, like the ones used to teach people how to fly.
These are often powered by propeller engines, like spinning fans that pull the plane forward. Then there are gliders, which don't even have engines and rely on air currents to stay up.
But jets? Jets are on a whole other level.
So, what exactly is a jet?
A jet is a type of airplane that uses jet engines instead of propellers to fly through the sky.
And while both jets and propeller planes use engines to create thrust, that forward pushing force we talked about, jets do it in a much faster and more powerful way.
Imagine two kids racing on scooters.
One is pushing with their foot, slow and steady.
That's like a propeller plane.
But the other has a rocket strapped onto their back.
Zoom. That's the jet.
Jets come in many shapes and sizes.
But what makes them all jets is their jet engine.
A special kind of engine that sucks in air, compresses it, mixes it with fuel, sets it on fire, and blasts it out the back to push the plane forward. There are different types of jets too.
Passenger jets. These are the big commercial airplanes you ride when you go on vacation.
They can carry hundreds of people and fly long distances very quickly.
Cargo jets. These jets carry packages instead of people.
They're used to deliver mail and online orders around the world.
Private jets. Smaller jets for just a few people.
They're used by business travelers or a few people who want to skip airport lines.
Fighter jets. Superfast, super loud, and used by the military.
They can do tricks in the sky, fly upside down, and break the sound barrier.
And supersonic jets.
These are jets that fly faster than the speed of sound.
They're rare, but incredibly fast. Jets are designed to fly high, fast, and far.
Unlike small planes that fly closer to the ground, jets cruise way up in the sky, sometimes over 10 ,000 meters.
That's more than 30 ,000 feet.
Up there, the air is thinner, which helps them go even faster with less resistance.
Now we know what a jet is and why it differs from a regular airplane.
But how does that powerful engine actually work?
Let's find out. Jet engines might seem super complicated, and they are for engineers, but the basic idea is actually pretty simple.
A jet engine works by taking in air, squeezing it, mixing it with fuel, lighting it on fire and blasting it out the back.
That blast pushes the airplane forward, just like blowing up a balloon and letting it go.
Here's how it all works, step by step.
Step one, air in. The front of the jet engine has a big fan that spins really fast. This fan sucks in a huge amount of air.
You can think of it like a giant vacuum cleaner at the front of the plane.
Step two, squish it.
The air moves through a part of the engine called a compressor, which squishes the air tightly together.
together. Compressing the air makes it hotter and helps it mix better with the fuel.
Imagine squeezing air into a balloon until it's ready to pop.
It's kind of like that.
Step three, light it up.
Next comes the combustion chamber, where the squeezed air is mixed with fuel, kind of like gasoline.
Then whoosh it's set on fire.
This explosion creates hot gases that need somewhere to go fast. Step 4.
Blast off. The hot gases shoot out the back of the engine through a a nozzle.
That push backwards causes the jet to move forward. It's Newton's third law of motion in action.
For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction.
In other words, when the engine pushes air backwards, the plane zooms forward. Step five, turbines turn everything.
Some of that hot air also spins special blades called turbines, which help keep the fan and compressor spinning so the engine keeps working.
And that's it, a powerful cycle of air -in, squish, fire, and blast that keeps going over and over while the jet flies through the sky.
Compared to propeller planes, jet engines are stronger and faster.
That's why jets are used for high -speed travel and long -distance flights.
Now that we understand how they work, let's talk about why jets are so fast, and how their design helps them fly like rockets through the sky.
Jets aren't just regular planes with louder engines.
They're built for speed.
But what makes them so fast?
The secret starts with thrust. Remember how a jet engine sucks in air, compresses it, lights it on fire and blasts it out the back?
that blast of hot air creates an incredibly strong push forward. Jets can generate way more thrust than propeller planes which means they can reach much higher speeds, sometimes even faster than the speed of sound.
But it's not just about engine power, it's also about design.
Jets are shaped to slice through the air.
Their wings are narrower and angled back to reduce drag, which is the air pushing against the plane as it moves.
The smoother the shape, the easier it is to fly fast without wasting energy.
Jets also fly higher than most planes, sometimes over 35 ,000 feet.
That's more than 10 kilometers up.
Why? Because the air is thinner up there, which means less resistance.
With less air getting in the way, jets can go faster and use fuel more efficiently.
And speaking of efficiency, many jets are built with lightweight materials like special aluminum and carbon fiber.
This This helps them fly farther and faster without carrying too much weight.
So, between powerful engines, sleek shapes, high -altitude flying and lightweight builds, jets are designed to zoom across the sky faster than your eyes can follow.
Next up are some fun and funny jet facts you can share.
air. Did you know that passenger jets leave behind long white trails in the sky called contrails?
They're made from tiny ice crystals formed when hot jet exhaust meets cold air.
Pilots in fast fighter jets wear special suits to keep blood from rushing away from their brains during tight turns.
Otherwise, they could faint.
Did you know that one of the fastest jets ever made, the SR -71 Blackbird, was so fast that it had to leak fuel on the ground because it only sealed up tightly when it got super hot during flight?
Jet lag isn't caused by the plane.
It's your brain being confused by time zones.
So technically, it's brain lag.
Jet engines are tested by shooting giant frozen turkeys into them.
This is to make sure they can handle bird strikes.
Did you know that some fighter jets can go faster than the speed of sound?
That means they can arrive before the noise they make catches up.
Did you know the word jet actually comes from the Latin word jactes meaning to throw?
Because jets throw air out the back so fast it launches the plane forward In this episode, we took to the skies to learn all about jets Those fast, powerful airplanes that zoom across the sky at incredible speeds We explored the different types of airplanes and reviewed the four forces that make flight possible—lift, thrust, drag, and weight.
Then we focused on jets specifically, finding out how they work, how they're different from regular planes, and what makes them so fast. We learned how jet engines suck in air, compress it, light it on fire, and blast it out the back to push the plane forward We also explored different kinds of jets, from speedy fighter jets and giant passenger jets to sleek private jets that can cross continents And, of course, we wrapped it all up with some fun and funny facts, like the jet that leaks fuel on purpose and the engines tested with frozen turkeys.
Thank you to Felix, who is 8 years old and lives in Lima, Peru, for introducing our show.
You were super awesome.
Awesome. Thank you to Jaden, 6 1⁄2 years old, from Hong Kong.
Kyler, 8 1⁄2 years old, from Lenox Head, New South Wales, Australia.
Seven -year -old Cordelia, in Beaverton, Oregon.
Sanai and Noel, from Houston, Texas.
Alice, 8 years old, in Iowa.
Hannah, 6 years old, in Wexford, Pennsylvania.
Maya Harry -Waltrick, 7 years old, maybe 8, from Perth, Australia.
Georgia from Washington State.
Ishanvi Patel, 5 years old from Texas.
And Easton, a first grader from Michigan, for asking questions that spark our curiosity and keep us learning.
We would love to hear from you.
ask your parents to help you write us a note to the email address in our show notes you can also visit our website and send a message that way also leave us a rating or a comment wherever you listen to our podcast we love to get your feedback did you know your brain can go on high flying adventures while you sleep You might dream about soaring through the sky in a supersonic jet, racing through the clouds faster than sound itself.
Maybe you'll be the pilot of a sleek fighter jet, zooming through the air with amazing control, or riding in a passenger jet high above the world, watching the cities and oceans drift by far below.
You could imagine yourself building your own jet engine figuring out how to suck in air, light it on fire and blast forward at incredible speed Or maybe you'll design the world's quietest jet or the fastest one yet Whether you're imagining takeoff on a runway controlling a cockpit full of buttons or just drifting above the clouds, your dreams can take you anywhere.
And who knows? Maybe tonight you'll dream of becoming an engineer, a pilot, or a scientist who helps shape the future of flight.
Good night. Sleep tight.
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