An Airplane's Direction of Travel with Crosswind

Explanation

An airplane is heading due north with a crosswind blowing in a westerly direction. In this scenario, the resulting direction of travel for the airplane with respect to the ground is northwest.

When an airplane is flying due north, but it is experiencing a crosswind coming from the west, the wind will have an impact on the airplane's path. The crosswind will push the airplane to the west as it travels north, creating a diagonal path known as the resultant track.

The airplane's direction of travel will not be directly west due to its momentum and forward motion. The airplane will be pushed towards the west by the crosswind, but its momentum traveling north will counteract the wind to some extent, resulting in a northwest direction of travel.

In conclusion, when an airplane is heading north and experiences a crosswind from the west, the direction of travel with respect to the ground will be northwest due to the combined effects of wind and airplane momentum.