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7starmantis
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[SOLVED] Tangential Speed at the Equator and Beyond
The Earth has a radius of 6.38 X 10^6m and turns on its axis once every 23.9 h. (a) What is the tangential speed (in m/s) of a person living in Ecuador, a country that lies on the equator? (B) At what latitude (i.e. theta) is the tangential speed one third that of a person living in Ecuador?
(There is a picture with the Earth and an axis of rotation through the center. The equator is labeled and an angle (theta) is shown from the axis of rotation and the equator up to a point above the equator making a triangle like the theta = rs triangle.)
v=wr
I solved the first part using v=wr as follows:
w = 6.28/86040s = 7.3 X 10^-5 rad/s
v = (7.3 X 10^-5 rad/s)(6.38 X 10^6)
v = 466 m/s
I know the speed will be 1/3 of 466m/s in the second part or 310.67m/s.
I'm just confused how to find the angle theta. I tried using v=wr again and finding the radius at the second part but then that still doesn't help me find the angle.
Any thoughts?
Homework Statement
The Earth has a radius of 6.38 X 10^6m and turns on its axis once every 23.9 h. (a) What is the tangential speed (in m/s) of a person living in Ecuador, a country that lies on the equator? (B) At what latitude (i.e. theta) is the tangential speed one third that of a person living in Ecuador?
(There is a picture with the Earth and an axis of rotation through the center. The equator is labeled and an angle (theta) is shown from the axis of rotation and the equator up to a point above the equator making a triangle like the theta = rs triangle.)
Homework Equations
v=wr
The Attempt at a Solution
I solved the first part using v=wr as follows:
w = 6.28/86040s = 7.3 X 10^-5 rad/s
v = (7.3 X 10^-5 rad/s)(6.38 X 10^6)
v = 466 m/s
I know the speed will be 1/3 of 466m/s in the second part or 310.67m/s.
I'm just confused how to find the angle theta. I tried using v=wr again and finding the radius at the second part but then that still doesn't help me find the angle.
Any thoughts?
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