Aspect ratio (wing)

Okay kiddo, do you ever like to make cool paper airplanes? Well, you know how they usually have long wings but sometimes they're shorter and stubbier? That's all about something called "aspect ratio."

Aspect ratio means how the wings of an airplane look when we compare their length to their width. Imagine drawing a rectangle and then making it either really long and skinny or shorter and wider. That rectangle's aspect ratio is the key to understanding how it might fly in the air.

In planes (and paper airplanes), a higher aspect ratio means longer, skinnier wings. This can help the plane glide and stay up in the air for longer because there's more surface area for the air to flow over. Meanwhile, a lower aspect ratio means shorter, wider wings. This can make the plane more maneuverable and able to make sharp turns, but it might not stay in the air for as long.

So, when people talk about an airplane's "aspect ratio," they're really just talking about how long and skinny or short and wide its wings are. And that aspect ratio can affect how the airplane performs in the sky!