Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 14 - Think and Explain - Page 279-281: 89

Answer

The high-altitude airports have thinner air. At any particular aircraft speed, the thinner air means less lift compared to a flying into or out of a lower-altitude airport. To compensate for that, longer runways are used to achieve greater speed for takeoff. When landing at a high-altitude airport, the airplane touches down at a higher speed than normal to maintain lift, so the longer runways are also helpful for landings.

Work Step by Step

This is discussed on page 274.
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