Why airplanes taxi
Robert M. Gary writes:
On Feb 6, 9:24*am, Mxsmanic wrote:
writes:
Fixed-wing aircraft taxi because their wheels reduce friction as they
move forward on the ground.
So, logically, spacecraft in the frictionless environment of outer space
should immediately accelerate to the speed of light.
No, it still takes energy to accelerate a mass, even in a frictionless
environment.
But the original post said that aircraft taxi because their wheels reduce
friction. No mention of energy or force. So if the statement is true,
movement results from a lack of friction alone, so zero friction should
produce infinite speed (or lightspeed if one allows the speed of light as an
absolute upper limit).
However, space (especially near space) is not frictionless.
Nor does friction produce acceleration. QED.
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