Quote:
Originally posted by Rockaholic:
Here's another one to ponder

An airplane is on an infinately long Aircraft carrier. As this airplane attempts to take off in one direction, the aircraft carrier moves in the exact same speed in the opposite direction (so that the plane appears to be staying in the same spot to a impartial observer who is not on the aircraft carrier)....

Does the plane take off?
If the plane always appears to be in the same spot, then it's not moving through space, it's not moving through air, so it's not gonna take off. In order for the plane not to move through air, its means of propulsion must not be coming from the plane, it must come from the carrier (i.e. the infinitely long catapult).

This problem differs in that you specifically stated that the plane does not move absolutely, whereas the original scenario only mentions motion of the plane and the conveyor belt. Your plane may be in motion relative to the carrier, but in your scenario, the plane is not in motion relative to the air (or to the rest of the world).

So, again, no, your plane won't take off.
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