What happens when the mass of a hovercraft is doubled?

When the mass of a hovercraft is doubled, it requires doubling the air pressure to maintain the same lift height. This is due to the basic principle of lift, which states that the lift force generated must equal the weight of the hovercraft for it to maintain a constant height. The lift force can be adjusted by changing the air pressure underneath the hovercraft.

For a hovercraft, lift is produced by forcing air beneath its platform. The lift must balance the gravitational force acting on the hovercraft. When the mass of the hovercraft increases, its weight increases proportionally. To lift the hovercraft at the same height as before, the lift force must also increase correspondingly. This is achieved by increasing the air pressure supplied beneath the hovercraft to create a sufficient lift force. Thus, doubling the mass leads to the conclusion that the amount of air pressure must also be doubled to achieve the necessary lift to counteract the increased weight.

Understanding this relationship between mass, weight, lift force, and air pressure is essential for analyzing hovercraft performance.