Planes flying east - west travel at about the same speed as planes flying west - east (ignoring the wind factor). Why doesn't the Earth's rotation make more difference?
2007-09-03 11:33:28 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Because the atmosphere (and everything in it) moves along with the earth.
2007-09-03 11:36:39 · answer #1 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An airplane ("plane") flies through the air. Aerodynamic forces on the wings keep it aloft. The engines are usually either piston or turbojet, and rely on air as part of the combustion process. There are many kinds of planes, and have been for over a century. A spaceship (which is not a "plane") travels through space, or possibly through the atmosphere of a planet, but by rocketry or some other means of propulsion that does not require air to react with the fuel. In general no wings are needed except when near a planet. There are very few spaceships, but rocketry has been known for perhaps a thousand years. Goddard invented some liquid-fuel rockets in the 1920s. In general, a spaceship can be faster than an airplane, but you really should get word words and ideas sorted out. In earth's atmosphere the terminal velocity of a falling object is generally about 200 km/h, but the figure varies according to the aerodynamic shape of the falling object. Jet aircraft can fly several times the speed of sound. Their shape is designed to minimise the effect of air drag resistance. Ultimately, the speed limit is c. "300,000 km/s. It's not just a good idea, it's the law."
2016-05-20 06:31:42 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, get up, and out of your chair and jump straight up!
Believe it or not, you landed several miles away, and your chair (with room) traveled with you.
Ride in a car, then toss a ball up from the passenger seat. It appears that the ball went up, then down, but to the guy at the bus stop, the ball went up, over and down.
I believe that we are moving in 9 different directions at the same time, but I definitely know these listed below for sure.
1. Your own bodily movements
2. Earth's orbit
3. Earth's rotation around the Sun
4. Our galaxy's rotation
5. The entire universe is moving
All of this movement, we are moving in tens of thousands of miles per hour!
So basically, to answer your question, both airplanes are flying on an "equal basis", as though the Earth's rotation has nothing to do with it.
Mathematically both planes are traveling at the same speed, however, one is moving faster than the other:
East to West
Plane speed 300mph + Earth rotation 1,000mph = 1,300 mph
West to East
Plane speed 300mph - Earth rotation 1,000mph 700mph
WOW, a big difference!!! And you do see it when traveling through time zones. Jet Lag.
Remember the Concorde Jet. You can leave England at 10:00am and arrive at New York at 10:00 am "Flying at the speed of the Earth's rotation.
2007-09-03 11:48:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The gravitational pull of the earth keeps the atmosphere rotating with the surface of the planet, even high up. If it didn't, the equater would have wind speeds of over 1000 miles per hour! Planes also have maximum speeds to account for engine wear and tear (obviously wouldn't want to be doing 900 miles and hour). Planes will adjust their routes to avoid the jet stream which would slow them down on a east to west flight (and the turbulence is nasty!).
2007-09-03 11:41:10 · answer #4 · answered by Patrick S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
at any time, we are all moving at about 11,000 kmh. the earths rotation, which we dont feel. if a plane takes off either west or east, north or south, it is all the same speed due to the earths gravity, and different physics rules. look up murphys laws,he was a smart dude.
if you look at it this way. we dont feel the earth rotate so everything seems stationary. if we were to go out side of earths orbit, we would be in a free fall around earth, not moving, but the earth would be rotating freely from us.
also an interesting fact, when astronaughts are in outer space, they are not actually flying. they are fall at about 17000 miles an hour around the earths curcumfrince. so until about 300 miles away from earth are they actually in outer space.
2007-09-03 11:43:11 · answer #5 · answered by tomman17 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does. When flying west, from the east, the trip is shorter because the destination is rotating towards the air plane. Frequently, when planes fly from west to east, they get into the jet stream and the winds propel them forward.
2007-09-03 11:43:31 · answer #6 · answered by regerugged 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because they fly IN the atmosphere - NOT in Earth's orbit
2007-09-03 11:36:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋