View Single Post
  #69   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 18-01-2006, 12:54
KenWittlief KenWittlief is offline
.
no team
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 4,213
KenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond reputeKenWittlief has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Can the Plane Take-Off?

thats cool! Even an aerospace engineer was confused by the question.

its really a trick question. If you think the airplane will stay in one place, because the treadmill is 'matching its speed' - thats impossble.

If the plane is staying in one place then its speed is zero. If the planes speed is zero then the treadmill speed is zero. So whats stopping the plane from taking off? where does the force come from?

The only way the treadmill CAN move is if the plane is moving - and if the plane IS moving the treadmill is not holding it in one place.

The only logical (possible) answer is that the plane takes off normally, with the wheels spinning twice as fast. Any other model of the systems behavior is self-contradictory, and therefore cannot possibly happen.
Reply With Quote