Plane on a treadmill

supersunbird

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Point is treadmill is irrelevant. ;)

There has to some kind of movement in the horizontal axis from the objects (planes) perspective, whether a treadmill or one of those rolling roads or a fan blowing air from behind the plane.
 

Sinbad

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There has to some kind of movement in the horizontal axis from the objects (planes) perspective, whether a treadmill or one of those rolling roads or a fan blowing air from behind the plane.

dude
shhhhh.
 

Drunkard #1

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Could the whole problem here be the interpretation of the term "speed of the wheels"?

In scenario one:

"speed of the wheels" means the speed relative to the earth, i.e. If the plane (and it's wheels) are moving at 1km/h forward, the conveyor is moving at 1km/h backward (and the surface speed of the wheels is 2km/h).

In scenario two:

"speed of the wheels" means the surface speed of the tyres, i.e. As soon as the plane moves at 1mm/h , the conveyor speeds up to an infinite speed, breaking the laws of physics and destroying the known universe, since the belt continues to accelerate, trying to match the wheels surface speed, which is always the speed of the conveyor + the speed of the plane.

So like most riddles, it comes down to not being given enough information.

Riddles always piss me off - they're supposedly a test of logic and reasoning, but are really about creative bull****ting in the hope that your assumptions are the same as those of the author.
 

Ho3n3r

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Could the whole problem here be the interpretation of the term "speed of the wheels"?

In scenario one:

"speed of the wheels" means the speed relative to the earth, i.e. If the plane (and it's wheels) are moving at 1km/h forward, the conveyor is moving at 1km/h backward (and the surface speed of the wheels is 2km/h).

In scenario two:

"speed of the wheels" means the surface speed of the tyres, i.e. As soon as the plane moves at 1mm/h , the conveyor speeds up to an infinite speed, breaking the laws of physics and destroying the known universe, since the belt continues to accelerate, trying to match the wheels surface speed, which is always the speed of the conveyor + the speed of the plane.

So like most riddles, it comes down to not being given enough information.

Riddles always piss me off - they're supposedly a test of logic and reasoning, but are really about creative bull****ting in the hope that your assumptions are the same as those of the author.

Matching the speed of the wheels with the speed of the conveyor belt, is a different equation entirely. But that would require you to keep the plane stationary somehow.

If the plane isn't contained in a static position (i.e. a massive wall in front of the nose), when the engines start thrusting, the wheels will always be going faster and faster than the speed of the conveyor belt, as it's thrusting against air, which gives it the speed.
 

supersunbird

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Nope, as long as it can create THRUST enough to get off the ground.
Ask the Wright Brothers how all that stuff works.

:p - do agree, with enough thrust thing will happen... with a Cessna 172... not much will happen.
 
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Drunkard #1

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Matching the speed of the wheels with the speed of the conveyor belt, is a different equation entirely. But that would require you to keep the plane stationary somehow.

If the plane isn't contained in a static position (i.e. a massive wall in front of the nose), when the engines start thrusting, the wheels will always be going faster and faster than the speed of the conveyor belt, as it's thrusting against air, which gives it the speed.

Nope.

Besides, it's not a riddle, it's common sense.

No. The original post says, verbatim, "The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels..."

I honestly think the confusion here relates to the definition of that term. If they mean the surface speed of the tyre, which is a perfectly valid interpretation, then the universe implodes. If they mean ground speed, then the plane takes off.
 
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bwana

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No. The original post says, verbatim, "The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels..."

I honestly think the confusion here relates to the definition of that term. If they mean the surface speed of the tyre, which is a perfectly valid interpretation, then the universe implodes. If they mean ground speed, then the plane takes off.

What is the purpose of wheels on a plane during takeoff?
 

oober

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"The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels..." actually makes no sense to me t.b.h.

The wheels turn as fast as the belt is going so it's more a case of "The wheels can turn as fast as the belt is going without any friction that is transferred to the plane resulting in backwards motion." :D
 
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