Which principle of physics underlies the concept of lift?

The concept of lift is fundamentally supported by Bernoulli's Principle, which explains how the pressure of a fluid changes with its velocity. According to this principle, an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure. In the context of an airplane wing, as air flows over the wing, it travels faster over the curved top surface than the flatter bottom surface. This speed differential leads to a lower pressure above the wing compared to the pressure beneath it, thereby creating lift.

While Newton's Laws of Motion are also relevant to the understanding of how forces act on objects in flight, and conservation of energy plays a role in overall flight mechanics, it is Bernoulli's Principle that directly describes the effect of airspeed and pressure differential in generating lift. The Principle of Buoyancy relates to objects submerged in fluids rather than the aerodynamic lift generated by moving air over surfaces, making it less relevant to the specific context of lift in aviation.