Calculating Horizontal Distance of a Dropped Package from a Flying Plane

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SUMMARY

The discussion revolves around calculating the horizontal distance a package travels after being dropped from a plane flying at a speed of 281 m/s and a height of 3200 m. The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s², and air resistance is neglected. The key takeaway is that the package maintains the same horizontal velocity as the plane, allowing for straightforward calculations similar to projectile motion problems. The user successfully determined the time to impact and used it to calculate the horizontal displacement.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, specifically projectile motion.
  • Familiarity with kinematic equations for horizontal and vertical motion.
  • Knowledge of gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s²).
  • Ability to perform calculations involving time, distance, and speed.
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  • Study kinematic equations for projectile motion in detail.
  • Learn how to calculate time of flight for objects in free fall.
  • Explore the effects of air resistance on projectile motion.
  • Investigate real-world applications of projectile motion in aviation and engineering.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of projectile motion and its applications in real-world scenarios, particularly in aviation contexts.

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Package dropped from a plane!

A plane is flying horizontally with wpeed 281 m/s at a height 3200m about the ground. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s2. Neglecting air resistance, what is the horizontal distance from the release point to the impact point?

I'm not sure where to start ... these are different than projectile problems we've been looking at...
 
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Welcome to PF!

knelson said:
A plane is flying horizontally with wpeed 281 m/s at a height 3200m about the ground. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s2. Neglecting air resistance, what is the horizontal distance from the release point to the impact point?

I'm not sure where to start ... these are different than projectile problems we've been looking at...

Oi! That package almost hit me! :frown:
​

Hi knelson! Welcome to PF! :biggrin:

The package will have the same velocity as the plane …

so this is just like a problem where the package is shot horizontally out of a gun at 281 m/s :smile:
 


Hi! Thanks for your quick relpy! As soon as I hit submit I actually figured out the problem! I just found the time it would take to his the ground and used that to plug it into the equation to find the displacement of x! I guess just thinking about it as I was typing helped, hehe. Thanks!
 

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