* Newton's First Law of Motion: An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
* Constant Velocity: The airplane is flying at a constant velocity of 180 mph north. This means its speed and direction are not changing.
* Net Force and Acceleration: Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the net force (F) acting on an object is equal to its mass (m) times its acceleration (a): F = ma. If the velocity is constant, the acceleration is zero.
Therefore, since the airplane has a constant velocity (zero acceleration), the net force acting on it must be zero.
Think about it like this:
* Forces in Action: Even though the airplane is flying, there are forces acting on it:
* Thrust: The force from the engines pushing the airplane forward.
* Drag: The force of air resistance acting against the airplane's motion.
* Gravity: The force pulling the airplane downwards.
* Lift: The force generated by the wings that keeps the airplane aloft.
* Balance: For the airplane to maintain constant velocity, these forces must be balanced. The thrust balances the drag, and the lift balances the gravity.
In conclusion, even though forces are acting on the airplane, they are balanced, resulting in a net force of zero, which allows the airplane to maintain its constant velocity.
