Final answer:
The student's question requires knowledge of the airplane's speed and wind conditions to determine its relative velocity to the Earth, which cannot be calculated without additional information on the wind's speed and direction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the concept of relative velocity in physics, specifically seeking to determine the velocity of an airplane in relation to the surface of the Earth considering its own speed and the influence of wind. When an airplane is flying with a given velocity relative to the air, and there is a wind acting upon it, the actual velocity relative to the Earth is the vector sum of the airplane's airspeed and the wind's velocity.
However, in the question provided, the wind's speed and direction are not given; therefore, the information is insufficient to calculate the airplane's relative velocity to the surface of the Earth. For example, if there is a strong tailwind, this would add to the airspeed of the airplane, resulting in a higher ground speed. Conversely, if there is a headwind, the ground speed would be lower.