MotionLab

Drag Force Calculator

The resistive force air exerts on anything moving through it — cars, cyclists, aircraft, and more.

Drag grows with the square of speed

Doubling your speed quadruples drag force — this is why fuel economy drops sharply at highway speeds, and why aerodynamics matters far more at high speed than around town.

Drag coefficient depends on shape

A streamlined shape (like a teardrop) has a much lower drag coefficient than a flat, blunt shape moving through the same fluid — this is why sports cars and cyclists in aero positions are shaped the way they are.

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MotionLab

Drag Force Calculator

The resistive force air exerts on anything moving through it — cars, cyclists, aircraft, and more.

Drag coefficient (Cd)

Air density (kg/m³)

Velocity (m/s)

Frontal area (m²)

Drag force (N)

330.75

F = ½ρv²ACd

What you entered

Drag coefficient (Cd): 0.3Air density (kg/m³): 1.225Velocity (m/s): 30Frontal area (m²): 2

1
F = ½ρv²ACd
0.5 × 1.225 × 30² × 2 × 0.3= 330.75 N

Result

Drag force (N): 330.75

At 30 m/s with Cd=0.3, drag force is 330.75 N.

Drag grows with the square of speed

Doubling your speed quadruples drag force — this is why fuel economy drops sharply at highway speeds, and why aerodynamics matters far more at high speed than around town.