Beginner's Guide
to Propulsion & RangeGames
Thrust to Weight Ratio
Activiy
If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for
these problems.
After reading the Web page Thrust to Weight Ratio, complete the activity to answer the following questions.
1. What determines the weight of an airplane?
2. What determines the thrust of an airplane?
3. The thrust to weight ratio indicates how efficient ______________________ is.
4. According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, the higher an airplane's thrust to weight ratio is, the higher its ___________________, its __________________, and its_________________________.
5. Which plane would you expect to be able to climb faster, a fighter plane or an airliner?
6. Based on the previous question, which plane must have the higher thrust to weight ratio, the fighter plane or the airliner?
Open RangeGames and use it to answer the following questions.
Set the "Mode" to Play, "Units" to Metric and "Aircraft" to Exec Jet. Below the "Aircraft" menu, locate the aircraft Weight and on the dials to the right, locate the Thrust.
7. In the data table on the worksheet, record the weight in Newtons and the thrust in Newtons for Exec(utive) Jet 1.
8. Change the aircraft type to Fighter and record weight and thrust in the data table for Fighter 1.
9. Change the aircraft type to Airliner and record weight and thrust in the data table for Airliner 1.
10. Change the aircraft type to Exec(utive) Jet and record weight and thrust in the data table for Executive Jet 2.
11. Change the aircraft type to Airliner and record weight and thrust in the data table for Airliner 2.
12. Change the aircraft type to Fighter and record weight and thrust in the data table for Fighter 2.
Click on AirPage and find the data to answer the following questions. Record your answers in the data table on the worksheet.
13. In the first dropdown menu bar, look for a/c data under guides. Click on the down arrow in the center dropdown menu bar, click on Gates Learjet, click on the link to Learjet/C-21, and click on the Specs tab. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.
14. Click on the down arrow in the center dropdown menu bar, click on McDonnell Douglas, click on the link to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 "Hornet," and click on the Specs tab. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.
15. Click on the down arrow in the center dropdown menu bar, click on McDonnell Douglas, click on the link to the McDonnell Douglas F-15 "Eagle," and click on the Specs tab. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.
16.Click on the down arrow in the center dropdown menu bar, click on Boeing, click on the link to the Boeing 747, and click on the Specs tab. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.
17. Click on the down arrow in the center dropdown menu bar, find another plane of your choice, and click on the Specs tab. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.
18. Calculate the thrust to weight ratios in the data table.
19. Compare the thrust to weight ratios in airliners, fighter jets, and executive jets.
20. Conclude by explaining why certain types of planes require a higher thrust to weight ratio.
21. List any plane from the data table that can accelerate vertically.
|
Airplane |
Weight in lbs. |
Divide by 2.2 to convert to kg |
Multiply by gravity = 9.80 to convert to Newtons |
Weight in Newtons |
Thrust in Newtons |
Thrust to weight ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Executive Jet 1 |
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Executive Jet 2 |
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Learjet |
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Fighter 1 |
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Fighter 2 |
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F/A-18 "Hornet" |
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F-15 "Eagle" |
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Airliner 1 |
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Airliner 2 |
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Boeing 747 |
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