Mythbusters to take on "the plane and the treadmill" conundrum?

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exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
aren't we suppose to neglect friction? If there is 0 Friction, then it doesn't matter what speed the treadmill is moving. Hell, with 0 Friction you could turn the plane engines off and set the treadmill to 100mph and the plane would move as fast as the treadmill. You need Friction for the wheels to have any affect on the plane. With 0 Friction, the Air is the only Force acting against you, which is easily overcome.

Even with zero friction between the wheel and axle the treadmill will still act on the plane.

how would the treadmill have any affect on the plane if the frictionless wheels/axles have no affect on the plane? You understand what grease and lube are used for right? -to decrease the amount of friction on the axle. With 0 Friction there is nothing pulling the plane in the same direction as the treadmill. Air would hold the plane in place, since it's the only force present.

To rotate a wheel one must apply energy. This energy does not come from friction but from torque.

Absolutely wrong.

Friction tangent to the surface of the wheel and not directed toward the axis of rotation, is what induces torque in the first place.

An engine provides torque to an axle to rely on the friction of the wheel and its resistance to sliding against the pavement to push against the axle horizontally and move the car.

Notice when you apply torque to the axle, the surface of the wheels tries to rotate away from the direction of travel. The frictional force at the bottom of the wheels is in the direction of travel, and that is what moves a car.

The opposite is also true. By applying tangent friction to the surface of the wheel (simply by being in contact with the ground) and pushing on the axle, you create a torque in the axle.

Simple wheel physics understood by mankind for over 10,000 years...

Smart guy we are talking about the friction between the axle and the wheel not the axle and the ground.

Wrong again, there is no friction between the wheel and the axle because they are rigidly connected, therefore the rotation of the axle is directly transfered to the wheel, and thus the ground.

But what you posted does show that the wheel acts on the plane and therefor the plane can't take off.

Yes the wheels act on the plane, just like it acts on the car when you push it by causing the car to resist your pushing due to friction against the ground being transfered laterally through the axle... but notice how can *still* push the 3,500 lb car with relatively little effort? Thats because the friction of the rotating wheels and axles is negligible. That is the whole point of a wheel in the first place, to reduce friction of an object in movement.

Most of the perceived effort is overcoming the inertia of the car at rest and the relatively little power from 1 person. Once the car is rolling, it takes little effort to keep pushing it on a flat level surface even with 1 person. A jet engine would be like pushing the car with 10,000 people. The resistance of the axles and wheels rotating against the ground won't stop them from moving the car. Pushing it at twice the speed won't increase the resistance of the wheels/axle by any percieved amount.
 

HeXploiT

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2004
4,359
1
76
Another way to think about it...

If you have a two thousand pound aircraft with a four foot propeller do you think that small prop is going to provide 2000lbs of lift? No.
The wind from a prop does generate some lift but only a small percentage of it. Rather it is the "wind" under the wings(forward momentum) of the aircraft that generates the majority of the planes lift. If a helicopter with a four foot prop wouldn't take off vertically then why would a plane?
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
4,507
0
0
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
aren't we suppose to neglect friction? If there is 0 Friction, then it doesn't matter what speed the treadmill is moving. Hell, with 0 Friction you could turn the plane engines off and set the treadmill to 100mph and the plane would move as fast as the treadmill. You need Friction for the wheels to have any affect on the plane. With 0 Friction, the Air is the only Force acting against you, which is easily overcome.

Even with zero friction between the wheel and axle the treadmill will still act on the plane.

how would the treadmill have any affect on the plane if the frictionless wheels/axles have no affect on the plane? You understand what grease and lube are used for right? -to decrease the amount of friction on the axle. With 0 Friction there is nothing pulling the plane in the same direction as the treadmill. Air would hold the plane in place, since it's the only force present.

To rotate a wheel one must apply energy. This energy does not come from friction but from torque.

Absolutely wrong.

Friction tangent to the surface of the wheel and not directed toward the axis of rotation, is what induces torque in the first place.

An engine provides torque to an axle to rely on the friction of the wheel and its resistance to sliding against the pavement to push against the axle horizontally and move the car.

Notice when you apply torque to the axle, the surface of the wheels tries to rotate away from the direction of travel. The frictional force at the bottom of the wheels is in the direction of travel, and that is what moves a car.

The opposite is also true. By applying tangent friction to the surface of the wheel (simply by being in contact with the ground) and pushing on the axle, you create a torque in the axle.

Simple wheel physics understood by mankind for over 10,000 years...

Smart guy we are talking about the friction between the axle and the wheel not the axle and the ground.

Wrong again, there is no friction between the wheel and the axle because they are rigidly connected, therefore the rotation of the axle is directly transfered to the wheel, and thus the ground.

But what you posted does show that the wheel acts on the plane and therefor the plane can't take off.

Yes the wheels act on the plane, just like it acts on the car when you push it by causing the car to resist your pushing due to friction against the ground being transfered laterally through the axle... but notice how can *still* push the 3,500 lb car with relatively little effort? Thats because the friction of the rotating wheels and axles is negligible. That is the whole point of a wheel in the first place, to reduce friction of an object in movement.

Most of the perceived effort is overcoming the inertia of the car at rest and the relatively little power from 1 person. Once the car is rolling, it takes little effort to keep pushing it on a flat level surface even with 1 person. A jet engine would be like pushing the car with 10,000 people. The resistance of the axles and wheels rotating against the ground won't stop them from moving the car. Pushing it at twice the speed won't increase the resistance of the wheels/axle by any percieved amount.

Wow you are a special kind of troll. Does it really matter if the wheel rotates freely at the axle or the axle rotates freely somewhere else. But I'm sure you already knew that and are just trolling. At least try and think a little.

You are right that when pushing the car it is hard at first because you need to accelerate the car AND apply a torque to the wheels. Moving the car once accelerated (ideally) requires no additional force, but to accelerate the car more you have to act again on both the wheels and the body of the car.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,402
8,572
126
Originally posted by: smack Down

Ok lets go over this again.

If we remove the plane and just leave the wheels do you agree that they will not rotate?
Now if we put the plane back on the treadmill do you agree that the wheels will rotate?
What acted on the wheels to make them rotate in the second case. ANSWER: the mother F@$% plane. And if you see newtons 3 third law the wheel must act on the plane.

no, the wheels will rotate if just an empty wheel is placed on the belt. haven't you ever seen cans on the belt at the grocery store?
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: Ramma2
Ok, so judging by yet another 10+ page thread about the damn plane, it is pretty clear that the Mythbusters should probably just test the damn thing and end it.

END IT ONCE AND FOR ALL

END IT!

They would screw it up. They would create a test with a plane with really small wheels and the treadmill wouldn't be able to change speed enough to slow down the plane.

The experiment should be done on a plane that has very little thrust and is 90% wheels.

Of course, put tank tracks on the thing and cut the wings off while you are at it. Thats like saying "well if you take the wings off it wont fly". Duh?

Unfortunately for you, planes are designed exactly opposite of what you suggest. If it was up to you, no plane would make it off the ground even on a fixed surface. The high engine thrust is primarily to compensate for in flight wind resistance over the body of the aircraft while in high speed flight, a force that is constant and far more powerful than the resistance in the rolling wheels on take off.

It would be easy to test this, just take a conveyer belt in a factory running full speed and stick a idling model airplane on it then go full throttle. This will give the initial advantage to the treadmill even, to further illustrate that it doesnt matter. The plane would begin to move backwards while appearing to slow down, stop for an instant, then start moving forward, relative to a stationary observer.
 

AbsolutDealage

Platinum Member
Dec 20, 2002
2,675
0
0
Originally posted by: smack Down
If we remove the plane and just leave the wheels do you agree that they will not rotate?
Now if we put the plane back on the treadmill do you agree that the wheels will rotate?
What acted on the wheels to make them rotate in the second case. ANSWER: the mother F@$% plane. And if you see newtons 3 third law the wheel must act on the plane.

No, Newton's third law does not apply here. The plane is decoupled from the wheels by way of the bearings which attach them. Newton's third law acts between 2 sets of pairs: the atmosphere and the plane, and the ground and the wheel. There is no connection between these 2 pairs, and therefore no force.
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
4,507
0
0
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: smack Down

Ok lets go over this again.

If we remove the plane and just leave the wheels do you agree that they will not rotate?
Now if we put the plane back on the treadmill do you agree that the wheels will rotate?
What acted on the wheels to make them rotate in the second case. ANSWER: the mother F@$% plane. And if you see newtons 3 third law the wheel must act on the plane.

no, the wheels will rotate if just an empty wheel is placed on the belt. haven't you ever seen cans on the belt at the grocery store?

That isn't the steady state response. If the can was moving at the same speed as the belt when you placed the item there it would not rotate.
 

randay

Lifer
May 30, 2006
11,018
216
106
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: smack Down

Ok lets go over this again.

If we remove the plane and just leave the wheels do you agree that they will not rotate?
Now if we put the plane back on the treadmill do you agree that the wheels will rotate?
What acted on the wheels to make them rotate in the second case. ANSWER: the mother F@$% plane. And if you see newtons 3 third law the wheel must act on the plane.

no, the wheels will rotate if just an empty wheel is placed on the belt. haven't you ever seen cans on the belt at the grocery store?

but but but newtons 3rd law!!! newtones 3rd law!!!
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
4,507
0
0
Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Originally posted by: smack Down
If we remove the plane and just leave the wheels do you agree that they will not rotate?
Now if we put the plane back on the treadmill do you agree that the wheels will rotate?
What acted on the wheels to make them rotate in the second case. ANSWER: the mother F@$% plane. And if you see newtons 3 third law the wheel must act on the plane.

No, Newton's third law does not apply here. The plane is decoupled from the wheels by way of the bearings which attach them. Newton's third law acts between 2 sets of pairs: the atmosphere and the plane, and the ground and the wheel. There is no connection between these 2 pairs, and therefore no force.

Are the wheels not attached to the plane? Besides If there is no connection why is the behavior different if I remove the plane?

Fine so the wheel acts on the bearings. The bearings act on the plane. Are you happy or do you have another idiotic point to make.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
BUT WAIT A SECOND! :eek:

What if Samuel L Jackson throws snakes out of the window while we're doing this?!?

:( We'll never know what would have happened.
 

randay

Lifer
May 30, 2006
11,018
216
106
Originally posted by: shortylickens
BUT WAIT A SECOND! :eek:

What if Samuel L Jackson throws snakes out of the window while we're doing this?!?

:( We'll never know what would have happened.

actually newtons third law states that it would actually be the snakes throwing samuel l jackson into the airplane through the window, in a frictionless environment that is.
 

SSSnail

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
17,458
83
86
I am so god damn tired of the motherfvcking plane, on the motherfvcking treadmill.
 

AbsolutDealage

Platinum Member
Dec 20, 2002
2,675
0
0
Originally posted by: smack Down

Are the wheels not attached to the plane?

If you assume a frictionless bearing, then no.. from a free body diagram perspective, they are not connected.


Besides If there is no connection why is the behavior different if I remove the plane?
It's not any different with or without the plane. As I said, the bearings decouple the plane from the wheel. You know, decouple : "to eliminate the interrelationship of".

Fine so the wheel acts on the bearings. The bearings act on the plane.

No, the bearings don't act on the plane. That's the point of a bearing. It seperates the 2 systems so that no force can be translated between them.
 

amish

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
4,295
6
81
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Originally posted by: smack Down
If we remove the plane and just leave the wheels do you agree that they will not rotate?
Now if we put the plane back on the treadmill do you agree that the wheels will rotate?
What acted on the wheels to make them rotate in the second case. ANSWER: the mother F@$% plane. And if you see newtons 3 third law the wheel must act on the plane.

No, Newton's third law does not apply here. The plane is decoupled from the wheels by way of the bearings which attach them. Newton's third law acts between 2 sets of pairs: the atmosphere and the plane, and the ground and the wheel. There is no connection between these 2 pairs, and therefore no force.

Are the wheels not attached to the plane? Besides If there is no connection why is the behavior different if I remove the plane?

Fine so the wheel acts on the bearings. The bearings act on the plane. Are you happy or do you have another idiotic point to make.

didn't you get set straight in the thread that was in 'highly technical'?
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
4,507
0
0
Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Originally posted by: smack Down

Are the wheels not attached to the plane?

If you assume a frictionless bearing, then no.. from a free body diagram perspective, they are not connected.


Besides If there is no connection why is the behavior different if I remove the plane?
It's not any different with or without the plane. As I said, the bearings decouple the plane from the wheel. You know, decouple : "to eliminate the interrelationship of".

Fine so the wheel acts on the bearings. The bearings act on the plane.

No, the bearings don't act on the plane. That's the point of a bearing. It seperates the 2 systems so that no force can be translated between them.

I'm sorry your an idiot if you think the only way for two items to interact is via friction.
 

AbsolutDealage

Platinum Member
Dec 20, 2002
2,675
0
0
Originally posted by: smack Down
I'm sorry your an idiot if you think the only way for two items to interact is via friction.

Really... what other relevent forces are in play in this particular instance. Show me.
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
aren't we suppose to neglect friction? If there is 0 Friction, then it doesn't matter what speed the treadmill is moving. Hell, with 0 Friction you could turn the plane engines off and set the treadmill to 100mph and the plane would move as fast as the treadmill. You need Friction for the wheels to have any affect on the plane. With 0 Friction, the Air is the only Force acting against you, which is easily overcome.

Even with zero friction between the wheel and axle the treadmill will still act on the plane.

how would the treadmill have any affect on the plane if the frictionless wheels/axles have no affect on the plane? You understand what grease and lube are used for right? -to decrease the amount of friction on the axle. With 0 Friction there is nothing pulling the plane in the same direction as the treadmill. Air would hold the plane in place, since it's the only force present.

To rotate a wheel one must apply energy. This energy does not come from friction but from torque.

Absolutely wrong.

Friction tangent to the surface of the wheel and not directed toward the axis of rotation, is what induces torque in the first place.

An engine provides torque to an axle to rely on the friction of the wheel and its resistance to sliding against the pavement to push against the axle horizontally and move the car.

Notice when you apply torque to the axle, the surface of the wheels tries to rotate away from the direction of travel. The frictional force at the bottom of the wheels is in the direction of travel, and that is what moves a car.

The opposite is also true. By applying tangent friction to the surface of the wheel (simply by being in contact with the ground) and pushing on the axle, you create a torque in the axle.

Simple wheel physics understood by mankind for over 10,000 years...

Smart guy we are talking about the friction between the axle and the wheel not the axle and the ground.

Wrong again, there is no friction between the wheel and the axle because they are rigidly connected, therefore the rotation of the axle is directly transfered to the wheel, and thus the ground.

But what you posted does show that the wheel acts on the plane and therefor the plane can't take off.

Yes the wheels act on the plane, just like it acts on the car when you push it by causing the car to resist your pushing due to friction against the ground being transfered laterally through the axle... but notice how can *still* push the 3,500 lb car with relatively little effort? Thats because the friction of the rotating wheels and axles is negligible. That is the whole point of a wheel in the first place, to reduce friction of an object in movement.

Most of the perceived effort is overcoming the inertia of the car at rest and the relatively little power from 1 person. Once the car is rolling, it takes little effort to keep pushing it on a flat level surface even with 1 person. A jet engine would be like pushing the car with 10,000 people. The resistance of the axles and wheels rotating against the ground won't stop them from moving the car. Pushing it at twice the speed won't increase the resistance of the wheels/axle by any percieved amount.

Wow you are a special kind of troll. Does it really matter if the wheel rotates freely at the axle or the axle rotates freely somewhere else. But I'm sure you already knew that and are just trolling. At least try and think a little.

You are right that when pushing the car it is hard at first because you need to accelerate the car AND apply a torque to the wheels. Moving the car once accelerated (ideally) requires no additional force, but to accelerate the car more you have to act again on both the wheels and the body of the car.

Thank you for finally getting something. This isn't entirely true because there IS energy dissapation, but i'll ignore that...

By your saying it takes no additional force to keep the car moving once it is rolling, you just accepted that the bearings and wheels offer little resistance, otherwise the car would promptly skid to a halt. The majority of your argument was based on the idea that the rotational resistance of the wheels was enough to compensate for the forward thrust, and you just negated your own argument.

To accelerate the car more... you aren't accelerating more. You are increasing the velocity more, and you can do that with the same acceleration. Hold the pedal to one position, and the speedometer climbs. The force you apply is constant, the mass of the car is constant, thus the acceleration is constant and never changing. You never apply more or less acceleration, however with that constant acceleration, your velocity continues to climb. It is forward velocity that generates wing lift on the plane. The engines in the plane are full throttle from the moment you feel the kick in the seat until the time the plane stops climbing. The force is constant. The acceleration is constant. The mass of the plane is constant (ignoring fuel consumption and waste disposal). So the velocity increases, until you stop applying acceleration.

To get the car or the plane moving faster and faster, you do not need to apply additional force or acceleration. Just continue pushing it as hard as you have been, and provided you can keep up with it, it will continute going faster (until wind resistance comes into play and exponentially increases the power demands to apply that force)

Combine all these things together.

1) the trust of the engines is held constant at full power on take off, thus the acceleration is constant
2) the rolling resistance in the wheels is not sufficient to overcome the forward movement of the plane undergoing acceleration
3) the plane thus takes off on the conveyer

No, I am a physics major; my third major. You are the troll.

/thread
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
4,507
0
0
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: exdeath
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: LukeMan
aren't we suppose to neglect friction? If there is 0 Friction, then it doesn't matter what speed the treadmill is moving. Hell, with 0 Friction you could turn the plane engines off and set the treadmill to 100mph and the plane would move as fast as the treadmill. You need Friction for the wheels to have any affect on the plane. With 0 Friction, the Air is the only Force acting against you, which is easily overcome.

Even with zero friction between the wheel and axle the treadmill will still act on the plane.

how would the treadmill have any affect on the plane if the frictionless wheels/axles have no affect on the plane? You understand what grease and lube are used for right? -to decrease the amount of friction on the axle. With 0 Friction there is nothing pulling the plane in the same direction as the treadmill. Air would hold the plane in place, since it's the only force present.

To rotate a wheel one must apply energy. This energy does not come from friction but from torque.

Absolutely wrong.

Friction tangent to the surface of the wheel and not directed toward the axis of rotation, is what induces torque in the first place.

An engine provides torque to an axle to rely on the friction of the wheel and its resistance to sliding against the pavement to push against the axle horizontally and move the car.

Notice when you apply torque to the axle, the surface of the wheels tries to rotate away from the direction of travel. The frictional force at the bottom of the wheels is in the direction of travel, and that is what moves a car.

The opposite is also true. By applying tangent friction to the surface of the wheel (simply by being in contact with the ground) and pushing on the axle, you create a torque in the axle.

Simple wheel physics understood by mankind for over 10,000 years...

Smart guy we are talking about the friction between the axle and the wheel not the axle and the ground.

Wrong again, there is no friction between the wheel and the axle because they are rigidly connected, therefore the rotation of the axle is directly transfered to the wheel, and thus the ground.

But what you posted does show that the wheel acts on the plane and therefor the plane can't take off.

Yes the wheels act on the plane, just like it acts on the car when you push it by causing the car to resist your pushing due to friction against the ground being transfered laterally through the axle... but notice how can *still* push the 3,500 lb car with relatively little effort? Thats because the friction of the rotating wheels and axles is negligible. That is the whole point of a wheel in the first place, to reduce friction of an object in movement.

Most of the perceived effort is overcoming the inertia of the car at rest and the relatively little power from 1 person. Once the car is rolling, it takes little effort to keep pushing it on a flat level surface even with 1 person. A jet engine would be like pushing the car with 10,000 people. The resistance of the axles and wheels rotating against the ground won't stop them from moving the car. Pushing it at twice the speed won't increase the resistance of the wheels/axle by any percieved amount.

Wow you are a special kind of troll. Does it really matter if the wheel rotates freely at the axle or the axle rotates freely somewhere else. But I'm sure you already knew that and are just trolling. At least try and think a little.

You are right that when pushing the car it is hard at first because you need to accelerate the car AND apply a torque to the wheels. Moving the car once accelerated (ideally) requires no additional force, but to accelerate the car more you have to act again on both the wheels and the body of the car.

Thank you for finally getting something. This isn't entirely true because there IS energy dissapation, but i'll ignore that...

By your saying it takes no additional force to keep the car moving once it is rolling, you just accepted that the bearings and wheels offer little resistance, otherwise the car would promptly skid to a halt. The majority of your argument was based on the idea that the rotational resistance of the wheels was enough to compensate for the forward thrust, and you just negated your own argument.

To accelerate the car more... you aren't accelerating more. You are increasing the velocity more, and you can do that with the same acceleration. Hold the pedal to one position, and the speedometer climbs. The force you apply is constant, the mass of the car is constant, thus the acceleration is constant and never changing. You never apply more or less acceleration, however with that constant acceleration, your velocity continues to climb. It is forward velocity that generates wing lift on the plane. The engines in the plane are full throttle from the moment you feel the kick in the seat until the time the plane stops climbing. The force is constant. The acceleration is constant. The mass of the plane is constant (ignoring fuel consumption and waste disposal). So the velocity increases, until you stop applying acceleration.

To get the car or the plane moving faster and faster, you do not need to apply additional force or acceleration. Just continue pushing it as hard as you have been, and provided you can keep up with it, it will continute going faster (until wind resistance comes into play and exponentially increases the power demands to apply that force)

Combine all these things together.

1) the trust of the engines is held constant at full power on take off, thus the acceleration is constant
2) the rolling resistance in the wheels is not sufficient to overcome the forward movement of the plane undergoing acceleration
3) the plane thus takes off on the conveyer

No, I am a physics major; my third major. You are the troll.

/thread

First off all I've been claiming all along that friction is irrelevant.

Ok Mr. Physics major have you gotten to the chapter on conservation of energy.

Do you agree that wheel speed is unbounded?
If yes where does the energy come from to spin the wheel up to infinite speeds?

No matter how much force is applied it is all going to towards increase the wheels angular velocity.
 

amish

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
4,295
6
81
mods, can we get this retarded thread locked? i saw that the one in 'highly technical' got nuked, can this one get nuked too?
 

BigDH01

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2005
1,631
88
91
LOL, this thread is hilarious. I've been spreading this question throughout the office and most get it wrong at first thought but quickly change their answer.

I just paraphrased the original question but I think I got the spirit. If a giant treadmill the size of a runway existed, and we placed a plane on that runway, and set the treadmill up so that it sped at the plane's velocity but in the opposite direction, would the plane take-off? Most people still thought the plane would remain stationary. A quick explanation and people realized that the plane would take-off. The most useful analogy that I've seen here is the space shuttle analogy. When I used that most people seemed to get the idea.

The office now firmly believes that the plane will take-off given the question that I asked.
 

AbsolutDealage

Platinum Member
Dec 20, 2002
2,675
0
0
Originally posted by: smack Down
No matter how much force is applied it is all going to towards increase the wheels angular velocity.

Ok, so now apply that to our situation.

As I said before, the bearing on the wheel prevents a rotational force from being translated between 2 members. Since, in your words, "friction is irrelevant", then we can ignore the minute friction in that bearing.

So, all of the energy from the treadmill is going towards increasing the angular velocity of the wheels. The bearing prevents this rotational force from exerting a force on the body of the plane.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,402
8,572
126
Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Originally posted by: smack Down
I'm sorry your an idiot if you think the only way for two items to interact is via friction.

Really... what other relevent forces are in play in this particular instance. Show me.

electro-magnetic, gravity, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear
 

smack Down

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
4,507
0
0
Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Originally posted by: smack Down
No matter how much force is applied it is all going to towards increase the wheels angular velocity.

Ok, so now apply that to our situation.

As I said before, the bearing on the wheel prevents a rotational force from being translated between 2 members. Since, in your words, "friction is irrelevant", then we can ignore the minute friction in that bearing.

So, all of the energy from the treadmill is going towards increasing the angular velocity of the wheels. The bearing prevents this rotational force from exerting a force on the body of the plane.

The treadmill it self can not apply an angular velocity to the wheel. Think about a wheel with no axle it isn't going to sit and spinn in one spot.
 

AbsolutDealage

Platinum Member
Dec 20, 2002
2,675
0
0
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Originally posted by: smack Down
I'm sorry your an idiot if you think the only way for two items to interact is via friction.

Really... what other relevent forces are in play in this particular instance. Show me.

electro-magnetic, gravity, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear

Bolded for emphasis.