PRINT THIS ANSWER SHEET TO FILL OUT AND TURN IN.
NAME_________________________________ CLASS____________________ DATE____________ 

Beginner's Guide to Propulsion and EngineSim

Thrust to Weight Ratio - Worksheet

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 below, record the weight in Newtons and the thrust in Newtons for Executive Jet 1.

8. Change the plane type to Fighter and record weight and thrust in the data table for Fighter 1.

9. Change the plane type to Airliner and record weight and thrust in the data table for Airliner 1.

10. Change the plane type to Executive Jet and record weight and thrust in the data table for Executive Jet 2.

11. Change the plane type to Airliner and record weight and thrust in the data table for Airliner 2.

12. Change the plane 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.

13. Using Search Manufacturer, find the Gates Learjet and click on the Specs. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.

14. Using Search Manufacturer, find the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 "Hornet" and click on the Specs. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.

15. Using Search Manufacturer, find the McDonnell Douglas F-15 "Eagle" and click on the Specs. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.

16. Using Search Manufacturer, find the Boeing 747/VC-25 and click on the Specs. Record the weight in pounds on the data table and convert to Newtons. Record the thrust.

17. Using Search Manufacturer, find another plane of your choice and click on the Specs. 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 which can accelerate vertically._______________________________________________________________________

Data Table

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







Fighter 1
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Fighter 2
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F/A-18 "Hornet"







F-15 "Eagle"







Airliner 1
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Airliner 2
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Boeing 747/VC-25