the space shuttle does one full orbit every 90 minutes and the earth is 25,000 miles around. What is the apparent speed of the space shuttle?
apparent to whom?
measured in what units?
The shuttle does not orbit on the surface of the earth, so at what altitude?
To calculate the apparent speed of the space shuttle, we need to determine the distance it travels in one full orbit, and then divide it by the time taken for one complete revolution.
Given that the Earth's circumference is 25,000 miles, we know that the space shuttle covers this distance during one full revolution. Since the space shuttle completes one orbit every 90 minutes, we can divide the Earth's circumference by the time taken for one revolution:
Apparent Speed = Distance / Time
Apparent Speed = 25,000 miles / 90 minutes
To compare the units, it is helpful to convert minutes to hours since we have miles:
1 hour = 60 minutes
Apparent Speed = 25,000 miles / (90 minutes / 60 minutes per hour)
Simplifying, we have:
Apparent Speed = 25,000 miles / (90/60)
Apparent Speed = 25,000 miles / (1.5)
Finally, performing the division:
Apparent Speed = 16,666.67 miles per hour
Therefore, the apparent speed of the space shuttle is approximately 16,666.67 miles per hour.