Pressure and lift force on a wing

[physixnot4me]

An airplane has a mass of 1.60-10^4 kg and each wing has an area of 40.0m^2. During level flight, the pressure on the lower wing surface is 7.00-10^4 Pa. Determine the LIFT FORCE on the plane. Is it sufficient to lift the plane?

part is what concerns me: if it is in level flight, the net force is zero

How do I go about answering this question... leading me in the right direction would be very helpful =) Big thanks!

 

[Astronuc]

Force (N) = Pressure (N/m²) * Area (m²)

and the upward force must equal the weight of the plane.

For a plane to 'fly' the pressure above the wing must be lower than the pressure below the wing, so that the net force on the wing is upward and equal to the weight of the plane.

 

[quicknote]

I would approach this question by first understanding the principles of pressure and lift force on a wing. Pressure is a force per unit area and is exerted by a fluid, such as air, on any object that is in contact with it. In the case of an airplane wing, the shape and angle of the wing creates a difference in pressure between the upper and lower surfaces, resulting in a net upward force known as lift force.

To determine the lift force on the plane, we can use the following equation: Lift force = pressure x wing area. Plugging in the given values, we get: Lift force = (7.00-10^4 Pa) x (40.0m^2) = 2.80-10^6 N.

Now, the question asks whether this lift force is sufficient to lift the plane. As mentioned earlier, in level flight, the net force on the plane is zero. This means that the lift force is balanced by the weight of the plane, which is equal to its mass (1.60-10^4 kg) multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). Therefore, the weight of the plane is 1.57-10^5 N.

Comparing the lift force (2.80-10^6 N) to the weight of the plane (1.57-10^5 N), we can see that the lift force is more than sufficient to lift the plane. This is because the lift force is greater than the weight of the plane, resulting in a net upward force that keeps the plane in level flight.

In conclusion, the lift force on the plane is 2.80-10^6 N and it is sufficient to lift the plane in level flight.