Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

I can accomodate very easily. It would be nothing to do it since you have all that hair to grab and smash your head into it with.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

It certainly won?t take off if I am driving it :giggling:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

I think he just hit my windshield and the wipers are smearing him around

:jump: :jump: :jump:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

One more analogy and I'm done ...

Imagine a moving sidewalk like those at the airport. If you walk in the direction of the movement, you travel at double your walking speed relative to the windows next to you. If you walk in the opposite direction, you remain stationary relative to the windows.

Why? Because the source of your motion is your feet pushing on the on the walkway thanks to friction.

Now, put on a pair of roller skates. I'll walk next to the moving sidewalk and pull you onto it with a rope. No matter what direction we take on the sidewalk, you will travel at the speed I'm walking. If we travel with the sidewalk, your wheels won't roll, because I'm walking as fast as the sidewalk. If we travel against it, the wheels will roll twice as fast as if I was pulling you over the carpet.

Why? Because the source of your motion is no longer your own feet "attached" to the conveyor through friction ... it comes from my feet exerting force on the stationary floor next to you while you freewheel on your skates.

Or if you like, I'll tie the rope to the wall and you can haul yourself up the rope towards me. The source of your motion is no longer me, it's you ... exerting force on the rope connected to the stationary wall. The moving sidewalk can speed up, slow down or stop, but it doesn't matter. Your motion relative to the windows next to you depends on your arms pulling the static medium of the rope tied to the wall while your skates freewheel below you.

Likewise, an airplane exerts its force directly on the static air around it ... not on the ground. The conveyor under the wheels can do what it wants (regardless of the sensors or relative speed) because the plane's engines are acting on the air while the tires freewheel below it. The plane's motion relative to the air around it depends on its engines pushing the wing through the static air, thus creating airflow and lift.

Consequently, the plane absolutely can take off within the parameters of this question as stated.

Have a nice day and thanks for the brainteaser. This was great!
:perfect10s:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

Wrong. You're basing you assumption on the plane NOT moving.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

:giggling: :giggling: Ahh yeah...that makes sense.:giggling:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

The answer all depends on whether or not I am on the plane. Because I will be pissed if I do not make my connecting flight.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

You're stupid. It will take off.

All the conveyor will do is cause the wheels to spin wildly. Imagine a rocket on wheels on the same conveyor. That rocket is going to take off...with the wheels spinning off.

What the wheels and conveyor do is irrelavent as none of that provides any propulsion. The wheels lower friction and provide for braking.

Theoretically, the conveyor could be moving backwards at double the speed of the plane and it still wouldn't matter. That would only cause the wheels to spin even faster, but the plane will still be getting thrust, moving forward and generating lift.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

:clapping: :clapping:

Best arguement yet!!!

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

That's not true. Newton's law of motion states that the rocket or plane wants to stay still. As power is applied, as soon as it wants to start to roll, the conveyor moves, sending the motion back to a zero point.

That's where the conundrum lies with this version of the question. The plane can really never get up to any speed because it can't get past zero simply due to the limitations of the question IF you make certain assumptions OR it will take off IF you make other assumptions.

If the speed of the plane will always be instantaneously matched, the forward movement of the plane will never increase relative to it's surroundings.

If the plane starts to move at x MPH and instaneously the belt moves it -X MPH, the body of the plane remains still and actually does not move from a math standpoint.

But, assuming it's not a fictional question and the plane can move past this fictional "barrier of movement" then, as the plane increases it's speed, the plane is moving through the air and the belt is moving beneath and theoretically moving the wheels twice as fast.


That's why there were apparently different versions of the question. The one here was too vague and allowed for the No answer to be argued. The ones Bluehummer posted, that said speed relative to the wheels, changes the whole argument and allows the "body" of the plane to move without respect to the wheels.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

I didn't look at his links (:shhh:) so I can't speak for that.

I do know that if I take a bottle rocket and attach it to a Matchbox on a beltsander spinning at full speed, light the rocket, it's going to go. Unless I accidentally sand my fingertips off.:o

I got my answer by cheating and reading a physics site. No, I didn't read all 15 pages!!!! Just the first and last few.:D

BTW, when I'm driving down the road and a fly is in the car, why doesn't the fly it the dash when I hit the brakes. And if the fly is flying around from front to back while I'm driving 55, what's the fly's speed in each direction?:giggling: :popcorn:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

Ok I'm getting dizzy reading all these posts, but for those that say it won't take off, you are right.

Planes need forward movement through the air in order to generate negative pressure above the wing surface, thus creating lift. If the wing isn't moving through the air, then it doesn't matter what you do, it won't take off.

I think someone else already explained this, but this is the dumbed down version.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

speed relative to what?:giggling:

he's basically hovering in the car since the air in the car is "not moving"

the mass of the air and his mass is so small that he can accomodate the change in speed of the car because the "air" he's hovering in doesn't all go rushing to front.

Say, like if the car's interior was 1/4 full of water. All the water would rush to the front and a fish that was hovering in the water would go with it.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

Would he smack the dash? I want to see something hit the dash.:jump:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

I never opened this thread till today. Nice arguement by the way. I read 3/4 of the post and got tired. I really want to know the answer . My redneck guess would be No Fvcking Way! How the hell does a normal airplane take of with no wind for lift. If anyone can prove otherwise lets see it. Doug:popcorn:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

Answer 2 questions and you'll have the answer to this riddle ...

1. How does an airplane take off on a normal runway?

An airplane uses jets or props to push against the air with enough force to accelerate. As the wings slice through the still air, relative airflow creates lift and the plane takes off.

2. Could a conveyor turning backwards under the wheels hold it back?

No ... since the airplane's landing gear rolls freely, the conveyor has nothing to push against and cannot cancel out the plane's forward motion. It would spin the wheels faster than usual but the plane would take off normally.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

WHO GIVES A SH!T:D

BUT THE ANSWWER IS NO, WHEELS ARE FOR LANDING, THRUST IS FOR MOVEMENT TO FORCE AIR OVER THE WINGS FOR LIFT. A BETTER WAY TO PICTURE IT IS TO HAVE THE SAME AIRPLANE ON AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER DOING 60KNOTS INTO A 60 KNOT HEADWIND.

SO NOW THE REAL QUESTION IS, WHO GIVES A SH!T:D

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

same as a float plane or plane w/ skis, wheels don't have to roll to take off.

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

Yes, but only if you add enough Tequilla.:beerchug:

Re: Will the plane takeoff?
 

I see your point now. I agree!