Audience
Educators
Grade Levels
Grades 9-12
Type
Other Multimedia, Videos
This NASA video segment explores how Newton’s laws apply to landing an airplane. Viewers watch an instructor at NASA’s National Test Pilot School and learn that landing an airplane involves three phases, that the airplane’s mass and touchdown velocity determine the necessary runway length, and that smooth landings require pilot skill in balancing forces. The instructor explains how to calculate the minimal runway length.
Landing, Lesson 9
Duration: 13 minutes 45 seconds
View on YouTube
More videos and video clips in this series:
Introduction to Newton’s Three Laws, Lesson 1
The Law of Inertia: Newton’s First Law
Force Equals Mass Times Acceleration: Newton’s Second Law
The Law of Action and Reaction: Newton’s Third Law
Weight and Balance, Lesson 2
Lift and Rate of Change of Momentum, Lesson 3
Drag, Lesson 4
Thrust, Lesson 5
Take Off, Lesson 6
Climb and Descent, Lesson 7
Cruise, Lesson 8
The Landing: Approach
The Landing: Flare
The Landing: Rollout
The Landing: Summary