Question

An airplane is flying at constant speed of 500 km/h on a straight line at 33000 feet above sea level. What is the net force acting on the plane?

Answer 1

Zero, it is not accelerating.

Answer 2

What about gravity?

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

To determine the net force acting on the airplane, we need more information about the specific forces at play. The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on an object and can be calculated using Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F = m * a).

In the case of an airplane flying at a constant speed, there are multiple forces acting on it, including gravity, lift, drag, and thrust. However, since the speed is constant, we can assume that the acceleration is zero (a = 0). Therefore, according to Newton's second law of motion, the net force is also zero (F = 0).

In other words, the forces of thrust and drag are balanced, and the force of gravity is counteracted by the lift force generated by the wings. This equilibrium of forces allows the airplane to maintain a constant speed and altitude.

So, in this scenario, the net force acting on the plane is zero.