How to Determine the Position of a Plane When a Package is Dropped?

Question:

When a package is dropped from a plane flying horizontally with a speed of 283 m/s at a height of 2480 m above the ground, where will the plane be when the package hits the ground?

Answer:

When a package is dropped from a plane flying horizontally, it continues moving forward at the same speed as the plane due to inertia. Therefore, the plane will be directly above the package when it hits the ground.

When a package is dropped from a plane flying horizontally, with no air resistance involved, the plane and the package are subject to the same horizontal motion. In other words, the package retains the horizontal velocity of the plane at the moment it was dropped, due to the law of inertia.

Therefore, the package continues moving forward at the same horizontal speed as the plane. As a result, the plane will be directly above the package when it hits the ground, as both maintain the same horizontal velocity.

This phenomenon occurs because the package is initially moving forward at the speed of the plane before falling due to gravity. Since no external forces act horizontally on the package, it maintains the horizontal speed it had when dropped from the plane.

Understanding the concept of inertia and horizontal motion is crucial in determining the position of the plane relative to the falling package. This scenario illustrates the principles of physics that govern the motion of objects in a horizontal plane.