| variable | any factor that can be changed that might affect the flight of an airplane |
| system | a set of related objects and actions that can be considered as isolated from everything else for the sake of the study |
| drag | the resistance of air to objects moving through it (this slows down the plane) |
| streamlined | the design of a plane so air flows over them smoothly |
| elevators, rudders, and ailerons | three control devices that cause planes to move and turn in the air |
| aviation | the science of building and flying air craft |
| Orville and Wilbur Wright | made the first airplane flight |
| Bessie Coleman | the first black woman to earn a pilot's license |
| Chuck Yeager | the first pilot to fly at Mach I, the speed of sound |
| William Boeing | developed the aircraft industry |