Solving Plane Speed & Direction: A Physics Homework Help

In summary, the speaker is struggling with their physics homework and is seeking help with a problem involving vector addition. They are trying to solve for the speed and direction a plane must travel to get from airport A to airport B, taking into account a wind vector and airspeed vector. They are asking for assistance in solving this problem and suggest drawing a diagram to start.
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I am having a lot of trouble with my physics homework and any help would be great.

I thought I maybe had to subtract the wind from what I need to travel, but that didn't get me an answer that made any sense, plus I didn't know what to do with the angle. I looked in the book and couldn't find anything, but the chapter is called Vector Addition, so I am assuming at some point I am supposed to add vectors. Any help with how to solve this would be super helpful, please and thank you.

The Molko's fly from airport A to airport B. They need to travel 717 km/h, 2.64 degrees West of South. The wind is blowing east at 102 km/h. What speed and direction must the plane travel to get there?
 
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  • #2
Start by drawing a diagram! You know the wind vector. The airspeed vector is unknown. But the two must add up to a groundspeed vector in the direction of airport B. If you can write that mathematically, you can solve it for the direction to aim the plane!
airspeed.jpg
 

Related to Solving Plane Speed & Direction: A Physics Homework Help

What is the formula for calculating a plane's speed?

The formula for calculating a plane's speed is distance divided by time. This is represented as speed = distance/time.

What is the formula for calculating a plane's direction?

The formula for calculating a plane's direction is the tangent of the angle between the plane's path and a reference direction. This is represented as direction = tan(angle).

How do I use the distance-time graph to solve for a plane's speed and direction?

To use the distance-time graph, you need to find the slope of the graph. The slope represents the plane's speed, and the angle of the slope represents the plane's direction. You can find the slope by dividing the change in distance by the change in time.

What units should I use for measuring distance and time when solving for a plane's speed and direction?

Distance should be measured in meters (m) and time should be measured in seconds (s) for the most accurate results. However, you can also use other units such as kilometers (km) and hours (h) as long as they are consistent throughout the calculations.

How does air resistance affect a plane's speed and direction?

Air resistance can slow down a plane's speed and alter its direction. This is because air resistance creates a drag force that acts opposite to the direction of motion. The greater the air resistance, the more it will affect the plane's speed and direction.

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