Which statement best describes camber in an airfoil?

• A. Camber describes the angle of attack of the wing.
• B. The camber is the curvature difference between the upper and lower surfaces, with the upper surface typically more pronounced.
• C. Camber is the wing's surface roughness.
• D. Camber is the wing's span

Answer: (B)

Camber is the curvature difference between the airfoil’s upper and lower surfaces along the chord, with the upper surface typically more curved. This unequal curvature changes how the air flows around the wing: the top surface speeds up the flow and creates lower pressure, producing lift. Having more curvature on top generally allows the wing to generate lift more efficiently at smaller angles of attack.

The other ideas mix in different concepts: angle of attack is how the wing is oriented to the incoming air, surface roughness relates to texture that can affect drag and boundary layer behavior, and span is simply how wide the wing is. None of those describe the shape difference between the top and bottom surfaces—that specific curvature difference is what camber is about.