Physics of a Kayak (Qayaq) Essay example -- physics kayak kayaking qay

Qayaqs, now known as kyaks, were used by the Yup'ik Eskimos of Southwest Alaska. The Qayaq is a symbol of the Yup'ik culture. It symbolizes the significance of subsistence and using the surrounding resources to survive. This vessel also represents the intelligence and ingenuity of the Yup'ik people developing and designing a water craft that was swift, quiet, and could withstand harsh water turbulence. They were used as a mode of transportation for subsistence hunting and gathering. They were also a symbol of importance in society. "...it was the basis among men for obtaining wealth and women" (Zimmerly, 40). Wealth was measured on the ammount of goods a man could give away, indicating he was a successful hunter. In turn, because this hunter had a qayaq, he had to be skillful in manuvering the qayaq and hunting which gave him status in the community. This would be equivalent to a man owning his own vehicle and having a good job (Zimmerly, 40). "Each qayaq was outfitted with hunting suppliments to ensure the hunter's success." (http://www.alaskanative.net/341.asp). This mode of transportation was very efficient and aventageous while traveling along coast lines and upstream against a current. This style and of sea vessel is known as the Bearing Sea Kyak. Qayaq building was a very time consuming process. There was a ceremony held in the traditional men's house while each of the wooden memebers of the qayaq was cut. Each piece of wood was measured by the size of the owner. "Thus each man's kyak is built according to the specifications of his own body and hence is peruliarly fitted to his use" (Zimmerly, 40). Qayaqs were on average fifteen feet in length. They had wide and deep hulls, the bilges were rounded and slightly fl... ...L/n "As a rule of thumb R ~3000 turbulent flow" Anything in between 2000 and 3000 is unstable and may go back and forth between laminar and turbulent flow. (www.physics.usyd.edu.au/teach_res/jp/fluids/flow1.pdf) Works Cited Alaska Native Heritage Center. Floating Bodies 101. Lincoln, K J. "Qayanek: The Resurrection of a Lost Art." Delta Discovery 13 October 2004. 14+ Serway, Jewett. Physics for Scientists and Engineers 6th Edition. Pomona: California State Polytechnic University. 2004. Visual Physics. Yup'ik Qayaq. Zimmerly, David W. Qayaq: Kayaks of Alaska and Siberia. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 2000.