What term describes a spinning column of air created behind the wingtip as air moves from the bottom to the top surface?

What term describes a spinning column of air created behind the wingtip as air moves from the bottom to the top surface?

• A. Upwash
• B. Wake
• C. Vortex
• D. Turbulence

Answer: (C)

Wingtip vortices form when air pushed from beneath the wing around the tip to the upper surface curls into a spinning flow that trails behind the wing. This circular motion is a vortex, a rotating column of air. Upwash describes upward-moving air and isn’t this rotating structure; wake is the entire disturbed flow behind the wing, and turbulence refers to irregular fluctuations. The spinning, trailing flow behind the wingtip is a vortex.

Wingtip vortices form when air pushed from beneath the wing around the tip to the upper surface curls into a spinning flow that trails behind the wing. This circular motion is a vortex, a rotating column of air. Upwash describes upward-moving air and isn’t this rotating structure; wake is the entire disturbed flow behind the wing, and turbulence refers to irregular fluctuations. The spinning, trailing flow behind the wingtip is a vortex.