A plane is flying horizontally with speed
215 m/s at a height 2770 m above the ground, when a package is dropped from the plane. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2. Neglecting air resistance, when the package hits the ground, the plane will be _________.
Can anyone explain why the answer is directly above the package? Thanks.
ive heard this question and the answer is the plane will be right over the package because of the acceleration of the package
764
To understand why the answer is directly above the package, we can break down the motion of the plane and the package separately.
First, let's consider the motion of the plane. Since the plane is flying horizontally with a constant speed and ignoring air resistance, there is no vertical acceleration acting on it. This means that the plane will continue to maintain its horizontal position while the package is falling.
Now let's look at the motion of the package. When the package is dropped, it experiences a downward acceleration due to gravity. This acceleration acts independently of the horizontal motion of the plane. As the package falls, it continuously gains speed in the downward direction.
Since the package is falling vertically while the plane maintains its horizontal position, the package will hit the ground directly below the point where it was initially dropped from the plane. This means that the plane will be directly above the package when it hits the ground.
In summary, the answer is directly above the package because the plane's horizontal motion does not affect the vertical motion of the falling package. The package falls vertically due to gravity, while the plane maintains its horizontal position.