Locomotion by blowing into the sail of a sailboat—from a basic physics question to thrust reversal of jet aeroplanes

摘要

The old physics question of whether it is possible to achieve locomotion of a sailboat if there is no wind at all by just blowing into the sail of the boat is discussed with respect to a modern everyday-life technological application, the thrust reversal of jet aeroplanes. This connection of basic physics with technology offers a new approach for studying problems dealing with conservation of momentum.