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Fish, dolphins, whales, and flying birds all share a certain body shape that the source connects to reducing drag while moving through a fluid. What is that connection?
AOnly animals living entirely underwater benefit from any body shape
BRough, jagged body shapes reduce drag the most effectively
CStreamlined shapes, like a spearhead-shaped bird flock, reduce drag
DBody shape has no measurable effect on the drag these animals experience
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Streamlined shapes, like a spearhead-shaped bird flock, reduce drag
1. The source connects drag reduction directly to streamlined shapes across several kinds of animals.
2. It notes that fish, dolphins, and whales are streamlined, and that flocks of birds fly in a spearhead shape to form a streamlined pattern.
3. A streamlined shape reduces drag rather than increasing it, so a rough or jagged shape would work against that goal.
4. This effect is described for animals moving through air as well as through water, not only for fully aquatic animals.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity", section 5.2 Drag Forces_
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