An airplane is flying at 80 kilometers per hour when a strong tail wind, traveling in the same direction at 5 kilometers per hour, hits the airplane. How can the net force acting on the airplane be calculated? a subtract the forces b multiply the forces c add the forces d divide the forces
To calculate the net force acting on the airplane, you need to add the forces.
The force exerted by the airplane's propulsion system acts in the forward direction and is equal to the product of its speed and mass. In this case, it would be 80 km/h.
The force exerted by the tailwind also acts in the forward direction and is equal to the product of its speed and mass, which is 5 km/h.
By summing these forces, you can calculate the net force acting on the airplane. Therefore, the correct answer is c) add the forces.