volume_mute

Flying airplane

publish date: 2022/08/04 01:36:00 GMT+10

volume_mute

Consider an airplane flying in still air at a velocity of 150 miles per hour northward.  In part 1 of the figure below, a 3-cm arrow represents this velocity.  Now a wind starts blowing toward the south east at a speed of 50 mi/hr-quite a wind!  The second part of the figure shows this 50-mi/hr wind.  In part 3, one arrow is moved so that its tail falls on the head of the other.  Assume that the angle between the two lines is 900

Please find the results of the below statements

  1. 1 cm = lb
  2. The length of the wind vector in drawing (cm) =
  3. Approximated net force in  (lb) =

Correct Answer

(1) 50
(2) 1
(3) 158

Explanation

You can calculate the length of the line for the net force based on right-angled triangle

where the sum of squares of the two sides of the right angle = the square of the opposite line

a2 + b2 = c2

Let's assume the airplane velocity vector is a, and wind vector is b, then the net force = 1502 + 502 = √25000 = 158

Reference

Basic Physics: A Self-Teaching Guide

Quizzes you can take where this question appears