Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
propeller
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Ship propeller. Turboprop engine driving a single rotation propeller
Read Next
Businessman using tablet phone on airplane
Why Do You Have to Turn Off Electronic Devices on an Airplane?
Still from the film Deliverance, 1919. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. View shows Keller in the cockpit/front seat of an airplane.
How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?
German Hindenburg Zeppelin Explodes while trying to dock at station in Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937. It was the worlds largest airship
Defying Gravity: 7 of the Biggest Things That Ever Flew
Airplane in the sky with a trace of steam contrail.
What Is Known (and Not Known) About Contrails
Discover
Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,
Which Religion Is the Oldest?
Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics
10 Best Hockey Players of All Time
Panama Canal infographic
Timeline and Map of the Panama Canal
Scottish fold cat. A genetic mutation caused (in the original cat-1961) the ears to bend forward and down.
Shorthair Cat Breeds
Hemp (Cannabis sativa).
9 Mind-Altering Plants
Nativity Scene, Adoration of the Magi, Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Montenegro
Why Is Christmas in December?
Facsimile of one of William Henry Ireland's forgeries, a primitive self-portrait of William Shakespeare(tinted engraving). Published for Samuel Ireland, Norfolk Street, Strand, December 1, 1795. (W.H. Ireland, forgery)
The Time a Law Clerk Successfully Forged a New Shakespeare Play to Impress His Dad
Ship propeller.
Ship propeller.

propeller

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/technology/propeller
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

propeller, device with a central hub and radiating blades placed so that each forms part of a helical (spiral) surface. By its rotation in water or air, a propeller produces thrust owing to aerodynamic or fluid forces acting upon the blades and gives forward motion to a ship or aircraft. In Great Britain the propeller of an airplane or the rotor of a helicopter is commonly called an airscrew.

A propeller’s thrust is proportional to the product of the mass of water or air that it is acting on and the accelerating rate. For the most efficient propulsion, the mass should be large and the acceleration small.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.