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Actually I was wrong in my last post. The plane's wheels and the conveyor would instantly hit infinity if I tried to move the aircraft by pushing against an immovable object. In other words the aircraft has also become an immovable object!
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This is correct. I was one of the people really going on about the plane flying, but I was wrong (sort of).
The plane cannot move at all. By definition of the question. It's just a big impossible mess. You can't use real world physics at all.
If you think of the wheel as a cog on the conveyor, if the cog moves forward it HAS to travel faster than the conveyor, i repeat HAS to. According to the question this won't happen as the belt will move the same speed as the wheel instantly (this is the fundamental problem in the question). The fact the thrust from the planes engines will move the plane forward contradicts this, and would overcome the wheel by either breaking them off or them skidding.
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Audi5e, re the air "giving" not important, its the engine throwing air out the back, its the same effect as recoil on a machine gun, but instead of a load of bullets its ejecting loads of air particles going really fast,
Or in momemtum speak, its gives the air a momentum in a negative direction (backwards) so the plane gains momentum in a positive direction, it moves slower than the air going out the back due to its greater mass.
Chas (Now back at school after 3 weeks browsing forums!)
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Chas, this was my original argument, but the fact the wheels can't move faster means the plane can't move. Which I know is contradicted by the thrust etc...
Right, now anyone understand my points?