If drag exceeds thrust, the airplane slows down.

If drag exceeds thrust, the airplane slows down.

• A. It will slow down
• B. It will climb
• C. True
• D. It will maintain speed

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how forces along the flight direction affect speed: thrust minus drag gives the net force that changes speed. If drag is larger than thrust, the net force points opposite the motion, so the airplane decelerates. In other words, the immediate result of drag exceeding thrust is that the airspeed decreases. Climbing isn’t produced by this imbalance alone, since a climb requires the lift-to-weight balance to favor a positive ascent, which isn’t guaranteed just by having drag exceed thrust. So the best description of the outcome is that the airplane will slow down.

The main idea is how forces along the flight direction affect speed: thrust minus drag gives the net force that changes speed. If drag is larger than thrust, the net force points opposite the motion, so the airplane decelerates. In other words, the immediate result of drag exceeding thrust is that the airspeed decreases. Climbing isn’t produced by this imbalance alone, since a climb requires the lift-to-weight balance to favor a positive ascent, which isn’t guaranteed just by having drag exceed thrust. So the best description of the outcome is that the airplane will slow down.