Don't you love silly arguments? Pressing onward:
Quote:
If the runway is a conveyor belt, it's moving independently of the air molecules.
I disagree. The conveyor belt itself is stationary*, as are the air molecules. As long as the plane is stationary relative to the belt, it is stationary relative to the air molecules.

Of course, the plane will move relative to both because the speed of the belt cannot offest the friction and so the plane will take off. But it still has to move relative to the stationary belt and air molecules to do so.

*by saying the belt is stationary, I mean that the plane "moving down the runway" implies we view the runway as a stationary object. If we view the runway as a moving object then the plane was already "moving down it" the moment the wheels started turning.
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-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.