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jaydnul
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When ever your flying in a plane, doesn't it go by the same principles as, say, the moon orbiting the earth? Wouldnt the plane be in free fall and just accelerating forward to keep it up? I realize this is wrong but why?
Without verifying your 1-2% values, I'll just mention that it would be less only if the plane is traveling eastward. Traveling westward should result in an increase, since then the plane would be traveling slower -- in a nonrotating frame -- than a plane that is sitting still w.r.t. the ground.Lsos said:As has been said, you need to go around the Earth about 17,000 mph in order to be in free fall. Airplanes, even the fastest ones, travel at just a small fraction of that.
That said, even that small fraction has an effect on your weight. I believe you (used to) weigh 1-2% less on a Concorde at full speed, for example, than on the earth.
Integral said:A plane can be flown on a ballistic path which will provide a weightless ride.
Vomit comet
Years ago I was given a brief ballistic ride in a small private plane so it does not need to be a "special" plane.
davenn said:I'm pleased you brought that one up... saved me doing so.
Lsos forgot about that easily attained situation ...
one doesn't need to be traveling at 17,000mph to attain weightlessness
Dave
That was my understooding too, if by steady-state you meant constant speed and altitude, i.e. a circular trajectory centered on the center of Earth.Lsos said:I wanted to discuss what happens to an airplane in steady-state flight, which is what I understood OP to be asking.
Redbelly98 said:Jupiter6: Most (hopefully all?) of us do mean zero apparent weight when we say "weightless". It's pretty standard usage of that term.
No argument here.Jupiter6 said:I know. I just never cared for the term because it confuses people.
Despite the sensation of weightlessness that many people experience when flying in a plane, the truth is that you are not actually weightless. The feeling of weightlessness is due to the plane's speed and the forces acting on your body. The plane is constantly accelerating downward due to gravity, and your body is accelerating at the same rate, which creates the feeling of weightlessness.
Gravity is constantly acting on your body, regardless of whether you are on the ground or in the air. When flying in a plane, you are still subject to the Earth's gravitational pull, but the plane is able to counteract this force by generating lift from its wings. This allows the plane to stay in the air and give the illusion of weightlessness.
No, you cannot float inside a plane like astronauts do in space. While the plane's speed and motion may give the sensation of weightlessness, there is still gravity acting on your body, preventing you from floating. In order to achieve true weightlessness, you would need to travel far enough away from Earth's gravity or experience microgravity in orbit.
Yes, you do weigh slightly less at higher altitudes in a plane. This is due to the decrease in gravitational force as you move further away from the Earth's surface. However, the change in weight is minimal and may not even be noticeable. Additionally, the decrease in weight is not due to being weightless, but rather the change in the strength of gravity at higher altitudes.
The weightlessness experienced in a plane is very different from the weightlessness experienced in space. While the sensation may be similar, the forces and conditions are very different. In a plane, weightlessness is achieved through constant acceleration and the effects of gravity. In space, weightlessness is achieved through the absence of gravitational forces, allowing objects and people to float freely.