What is the Average Speed of a Plane?

In summary, the average speed for a plane flying from New York to London and then to Los Angeles is 1604.3 mi/h. This is calculated by finding the total distance traveled (8930 miles) and dividing it by the total time taken (5.56 hours). This means that the average speed is not simply the sum of the individual speeds divided by the number of speeds, but rather it is weighted by the distance traveled at each speed. This is because a longer distance traveled at a certain speed has a greater impact on the overall average speed. It is important to note that this calculation is for average speed and not average velocity, which takes into account the vector nature of displacement.
  • #1
Huskies213
34
0
Suppose a plane flies 3470 miles from New York to London at an average speed of 1810 mi/h. Then the plane leaves London and flies to Los Angeles 5460 miles away with an average speed of 1437 mi/h. Find the average speed.

I know that v(avg) = (delta)X/(delta) T.

But my question is how do you find the average speed? is it distance 1 + distance 2 divided by speed 1 + speed 2?

or

is it Distance 1/speed one + distance 2 divided by speed 2, and then add the two answers together ?
 
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  • #2
The average speed is going to have to be weighted by the distance traveled at each leg. With a little thought, this makes sense. Suppose you are going 10mph for 100 miles, and 5 mph for 4 miles, your average speed will not simply be 10+5/ 2 = 15/2 mph. You were going a stead 10mph for nearly 100 miles, that's more than 25 times longer than when you were going 5mph. So your average speed should be very close to 10mph. See if you can apply this reasoning to find out how to "weight" the given average speeds to come up with the total average speed of the trip.
 
  • #3
Are you trying to find the average distance of each individual trip or the whole flight? I believe reguardless of the speeds/trips, to find the average speed it is distance divided by time. If it took you 4 hours to go from Point A to Point B with distance = 100 miles, your AVG speed is 25mph. If it took you 3 hours to go from B to Point C with distance = 150 miles, your AVG speed is 50mph. Therefore, to go from A to C, you traveled 250 miles in 7 hours, your AVG speed was 250/7=35.7 mph.
 
  • #4
The weighting idea is correct, but I see things slightly more simply than that. As everyone has been saying, average speed is distance over time. So, for the WHOLE TRIP what is the distance travelled? Then divide that by the time taken for the WHOLE TRIP.

Note: If you are doing average velocity as opposed to average speed, you need to be careful about the vector nature of velocity, or more precisely, displacement. For instance, if you complete a round trip of 5000 miles in 2 days, your average speed is 2500 mi/day. The average velocity would deal with the overall displacement, which has a zero magnitude, so the average velocity of the round trip would have a magnitude of 0 mi/day.

-Dan
 

What is the average speed of a plane?

The average speed of a plane can vary depending on several factors, such as the type of plane, weather conditions, and flight route. However, on average, commercial planes typically travel at a speed of around 500-600 miles per hour (mph) or 800-960 kilometers per hour (km/h).

How is the average speed of a plane calculated?

The average speed of a plane is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the plane by the total time taken to cover that distance. This can be represented by the formula: Average Speed = Distance/Time. For example, if a plane travels 1000 miles in 2 hours, its average speed would be 500 mph.

Can the average speed of a plane change during a flight?

Yes, the average speed of a plane can change during a flight due to various factors such as wind speed, air traffic, and air turbulence. Pilots may also adjust the speed of the plane depending on the flight plan and weather conditions.

What is the difference between airspeed and ground speed?

Airspeed refers to the speed of the plane relative to the air around it, while ground speed refers to the speed of the plane relative to the ground. Airspeed is affected by wind and air pressure, while ground speed is affected by the plane's airspeed and the direction and strength of the wind.

How does the average speed of a plane compare to other modes of transportation?

The average speed of a plane is significantly faster than other modes of transportation. For example, the average speed of a commercial plane is around 500-600 mph, while the average speed of a car is around 60 mph, and the average speed of a train is around 80 mph. However, the average speed of a plane may be slower than other modes of transportation for shorter distances due to factors such as check-in, security, and boarding processes.

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