You are on an airplane waiting to take off for a summer trip. Having just come from your physics final, you decide to measure the acceleration of the plane during takeoff by tying your graphing calculator to a string and suspending it. Your new device will do a great job of measuring the plane's constant acceleration during takeoff because, as the plane accelerates your calculator will
A) swing backward and stay there.
B) swing forward and stay there.
C) swing backward at a steady rate.
D) rotate around in a circle.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the plane accelerates forward, the calculator (acting as a pendulum) will swing backward due to inertia. It will stay in that position relative to the plane, indicating the plane's constant forward acceleration.

You Are on an Airplane Waiting to Take Off for a Summer