An airplane flies due north at 150km/h with respect to the air

  • Thread starter Thread starter dajusta
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Air Airplane
Click For Summary
The discussion centers on the phrase "with respect to the air" in the context of an airplane's speed. It clarifies that this means the airplane's speed is measured relative to the surrounding air. If the air is moving, it affects the airplane's total speed relative to the ground. For example, if the air is moving north at 10 km/h, the airplane's speed increases to 160 km/h relative to an observer on the ground. Conversely, if the air moves south at 10 km/h, the airplane's speed decreases to 140 km/h relative to that observer.
dajusta
simple question

when it states "An airplane flies due north at 150km/h with respect to the air."

with respect? what exactly does that mean?

assuming that "relative to..." has the same meaning??

dajusta.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes, it means relative to the air.
Which means that if were traveling with the same velocity as air, you would see the plane traveling 150 km/h due north.
 
Does it also imply it's traveling in a direction to do with the air?
 
I know what "relative to the air" means.


I have no idea what "travelling in a direction to do with the air?"
means.
 
STAii is correct, It's traveling
Due north
@ 150km/hr w/ respect to the speed of the air (above the speed)

Thus if the Air is traveling at 10km/hr, then the plane's total speed is 160km/hr.

Pete
 
Er...

If the air is going north @ 10 km/hr with respect to me, then the plane would indeed be going north @ 160 km/hr with respect to me.

However, we don't know which way the air is going. If it was going south @ 10 km/hr WRT me, then the plane would be going north @ 140 km/hr north WRT me. If the air was going another direction, it would be even messier
 

Thread 'Thinking Outside The Box Versus Knowing What’s In The Box'

Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Someone who shows interest in science is initially a welcome development. So are fresh ideas from unexpected quarters. In contrast, there is a scientific community that is meticulously organized down to the last detail, allowing little to no external influence. With the invention of social media and other sites on the internet competing for content, unprecedented opportunities have opened up for...
View full post »

Similar threads

How do airplanes fly with heavy weight and air resistance?
  • · Replies 127 ·
5
Replies
127
Views
18K
How does the weight of airplanes affect atmospheric pressure?
  • · Replies 56 ·
2
Replies
56
Views
11K
High School Airplanes Landing & Altitude Problem
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
High School Is airspeed irrelevant in determining airplane travel time?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
High School Some Questions About Drag (for ships in water and airplanes in air)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
What makes air move faster above an airplane wing?
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
11K
How Does Drag Affect Airplane Dynamics in a Four-Dimensional Universe?
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
How Fast is the Airplane Flying Relative to the Air?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
4K
Can Earth's Rotation Be Used for Airplane Travel?
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
4K
Dropping items from an airplane.
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K