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A plane on a treadmill - physics question

Andy D

Active Member
Wouldnt the balloon float to the ceiling and friction hold it there during acceleration? It wont just float in mid air.
Speaking of brain teasers, I have been thinking about this one & want to change my guess; once the plane took off, while ascending, and the front of the plane is higher than the back, assuming the friction of the ceiling didn't hold it place, it's natural response would be to rise towards the front of the plane.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Gino, because I don't recognize sarcasm on Sundays; Thank you...
BTW you're not getting any younger, if you don't want to get arrested in Wal-Mart in about 20 years, because you forgot to put your pants on... These brain teasers might help prevent that.

Thanks for the warning, but it won't apply........ not even in 20 years. However, there is another thing you overlooked. I really wasn't including you in the science fair equation. So, what you mistook for sarcasm wasn't directed in your direction at all.
Sorry.........:flamey:
 

Andy D

Active Member
Once again, the wheels aren't moving forward based on their relationship to the treadmill, be it friction, resistance, wheel speed or whatever....the wheels will move forward because the plane axle is pushing them irregardless of how fast they are spinning or if they are not spinning at all.

The one and only thing I'm positive of:
If a plane needs to be traveling at 180mph for lift, to achieve 180mph, the wheels MUST be traveling 180mph faster than the surface it's on...
Whatever else happens, there's no getting around that.
 

Andy D

Active Member
But if you define speed differently, this all changes. You could argue that the speed of the tire is not the same as rpm. RPM is how fast its spinning, speed is how fast it is moving. In that case a=b until the plane takes off and b=airspeed of the plane throughout the equation.
I finally got what you're saying & you're absolutely right.... I always assumed it meant the speed of the tire's rotation, but it could also mean the vector movement of the tire, which would be the same as the plane.
 
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GAC05

Quit buggin' me
flipped.jpg

Where is your God now?
 
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