How does wing camber affect lift at a given angle of attack?

How does wing camber affect lift at a given angle of attack?

• A. Greater camber decreases lift at same angle of attack.
• B. Greater camber increases the coefficient of lift, producing more lift at the same AoA.
• C. Camber has no effect on lift at a fixed angle of attack.
• D. Camber only affects drag, not lift.

Answer: (B)

Increasing wing camber makes the wing surface more curved, which changes how the air flows around it. At the same angle of attack, a more cambered wing speeds up the air over the top surface more and creates a larger low-pressure area above the wing. That stronger pressure difference boosts the lift coefficient, so the wing generates more lift even though the angle of attack hasn’t changed. In other words, camber raises the lift coefficient for a given AoA. While camber can influence drag as well, its direct effect in this question is to increase lift at the same angle of attack, not to decrease it or to have no effect.

Increasing wing camber makes the wing surface more curved, which changes how the air flows around it. At the same angle of attack, a more cambered wing speeds up the air over the top surface more and creates a larger low-pressure area above the wing. That stronger pressure difference boosts the lift coefficient, so the wing generates more lift even though the angle of attack hasn’t changed. In other words, camber raises the lift coefficient for a given AoA. While camber can influence drag as well, its direct effect in this question is to increase lift at the same angle of attack, not to decrease it or to have no effect.