Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: smack Down
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: smack Down
Assuming the plane can take off from the treadmill and we replace the plane with a car will it move forward?
That situation makes no sense. Some people may be thinking "well, if the car is moving forward, then the treadmill matches the speed of the car, keeping the car from moving." Well, if that's the case, then the car ISN'T moving forward, making the car's speed equal to zero. Thus, the treadmill wouldn't be moving either.
If the question were rephrased to "if the treadmill moved in the opposite direction at a speed equal to what the car's speedometer said..." then the car would be stationary. In fact, this situation actually is used in labs (well, I wouldn't necessarily call the thing the tires sit on a "treadmill")
Umm how is that different then the orginal question? The fact that it is a plane has no effect on the question.
The plane accelerates forward because there is a net force on the plane in the forward direction. The treadmill provides a very small amount of force backwards on the plane (equal to the rolling resistance of the wheels) while the air provides a forward force on the plane per Newton's 3rd law (equal and opposite; plane is pushing backwards against the air.) The propeller (or jet engines) are what make the plane move forward.
In the case of the car, it moves forward by pushing backwards against the treadmill. The tires pushing against the ground (and the ground pushing back; again, Newton's 3rd law) are what makes it move forward (if it moved forward.)
If it helps, think of it this way: Imagine you have a toy plane with two motors in it. One spins the tires, and the other spins the propellers. Place that toy onto a super super slippery surface, more slippery than ice. Turn the motor on for the wheels, and the plane will just sit there with its wheels spinning in place. Turn on the motor for the propeller, and the plane will move forward. Leave the motor on for the propeller, and turn off the motor for the wheels; the plane will still move forward. Rewire the motor for the wheels so that it spins backwards. The plane will *still* move forwards, even if the wheels are spinning backwards.
In the problem with the real plane, the wheels are nearly irrelevant; the only thing they account for is some amount of force preventing the plane moving, equal to the frictional force of rolling friction which is quite low compared to the force due to the propellers pushing the plane forward.