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20 May 2024 15:03
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Question |
| Asked by: |
Dave Ford |
| Subject: |
Wander |
| Question: |
Hi,
> Some friends of mine reckon that in no wind conditions - if two identical aircraft took off at the same time to travel to the opposite side of the world. One travelling clockwise around the world, and the other anti-clockwise they would arrive at the destination at different times.
My friends are avionic engineers whereas I am not and they soon baffle me with science. They think that this would be due to the earth's rotation, and the effects of wander. I think that the two aircraft would arrive at the same time having travelled the same distance relative to the ground.
>I very much look forward to your reply.
Best Regards
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| Date: |
19 May 2005
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Answers (Ordered by Date)
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| Answer: |
Luis Gonzalez - 07/08/2005 16:20:02
| | | The answer depends on how you measure their velocity (I assume both planes are expected to fly at the same speed otherwise one would certainly arrive before the other). If velocity is measured by how fast the planes covers ground mile, or how fast they rush through the atmosphere (atmosphere is at stand sill for this experiment), then they would arrive at the same time with equal velocities. However, if each plane’s velocity is measured by a device that takes the rest of the universe as the point of reference then one plane will arrive before the other one.
Luis
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| Answer: |
d brown - 14/08/2005 14:40:13
| | | Agreed.
Do the same experiment on the surface of the earth, as the air is stopped (relative to the earth) and moving with the planet, and you will get the answer. Relative to someone looking down from one of earth's poles, one plane would be moving faster.
If both planes moved at the same rpm as the planet, altitude adjusted for, one plane would look like it was waiting for the destination to come to it; the other would look like it was going twice as fast as the agreed speed.
That is why, I believe, they say knots and not miles per hour. knots are relative to the medium, air in this case, you are traveling in.
A boat going 5 knots against the flow of a 5 knot river is great for long exposure picture taking, no waves allowed. :)
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