While an airplane flies at 40 m/s at an altitude of 500 meters, the pilot drops a heavy package that falls to the ground. Neglecting air drag, about where does the package land relative to the plane flying above?
A)directly beneath the plane
B)400 m behind the plane
C)500 m behind the plane
D)more than 500 m behind the plane
E)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the package is dropped from the airplane without any lateral force, both objects (plane and package) will follow the same parabolic path. In other words, the horizontal distance between them remains constant throughout the drop. Therefore, the package will land directly beneath the plane.

While an Airplane Flies at 40 M/s at an Altitude