Frank was born outside of Philadelphia, PA, graduated Upper Perkiomen High School, and attended The Citadel, earning a B.S. in Physics in May of 1999. After graduating, he received a commission in the US Air Force, and is currently flying on the AWACS. His career speciality has also been selected to man the Airborne Laser (YAL-1A), and when that system comes online he hopes to participate. The side interests are multitudinous, but center mainly on Scouting, architecture, radar theory, military strategy, jazz, kendo; and Physics, obviously. Frank currently resides in Oklahoma City.

Published Answers

All answers by Frank J. DiBonaventuro published at PhysLink.com up to date are listed here:

1. Why are jet engines' and rocket engines' tails shaped differently, one gets narrower as the other gets wider?
   
   
2. When a flame comes out of a lighter on earth, it points up; which way would it point in a zero g environment?
   
   
3. Why is petrol/oil in water colorful?
   
   
4. What is the physics involved with breaking glass with your voice?
   
   
5. Is it true that a duck's quack doesn't echo? If so, why?
   
   
6. What exactly is the purpose of the spoiler on a car and how does it work?
   
   
7. Why does space shuttle fly up with its belly upward and its back downward (i.e., astronauts sitting upside down)?
   
   
8. What are the differences between jet airplanes and rockets?
   
   
9. How can one prove that the world is round?
   
   
10. I was told that lower frequency sound waves (like from a bass guitar) travel lower to the ground that higher frequencies. Is this true?
    
    
11. How is Mach related to temperature of the air? How does a sudden change of temperature affects the propulsion of a jet engine?
    
    
12. How is a plane protected from Lightning strikes?
    
    
13. How do you keep warm in an igloo? What's the underlying Physics behind it?
    
    
14. What is it about lead that makes it useful in radiation shielding?
    
    
15. How high can a (commercial or military) jet aircraft go?
    
    
16. They say that the safest place to be when a bomb explodes is right on top of it, is that true?
    
    
17. If an airplane wing provides lift (an airfoil), how does a plane fly upside down?
    
    
18. What would happen to a balloon if it was blown up in a classroom and then taken to the top of Mount Everest? What would happen when it came back down?
    
    
19. Why do military aircraft often fly in formation and is it in any way related to the reason birds fly in formation (conservation of energy)?
    
    
20. How does humidity effect the way that an airplane flies?
    
    
21. How does night vision work?
    
    
22. If the iceberg is sitting on the bottom of the ocean and NOT floating, would the water level rise as the ice melts?
    
    
23. If heat rises, why is it so cold in the upper atmosphere?
    
    
24. Please explain why do long rivers ( such as the Nile ) flow along serpentine paths rather than straight?