The earth takes exactly 24 hours for one full rotation calculate

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SUMMARY

The Earth completes one full rotation in 24 hours, resulting in a rotational speed of approximately 465.1 m/s at the equator. The calculation utilizes the formula speed = 2πr/T, where 'r' is the radius of the Earth, approximately 6.378 x 10^6 meters, and 'T' is the time period of one rotation (24 hours). The discrepancy in results, such as 471 m/s and 463.82 m/s, arises from rounding errors and the precise value of π used in calculations. Understanding the Earth's circumference and the correct application of the formula is crucial for accurate results.

PREREQUISITES
  • A2 Physics concepts, specifically uniform circular motion
  • Understanding of the Earth's radius (6.378 x 10^6 meters)
  • Familiarity with the formula speed = 2πr/T
  • Basic calculator skills for handling π and unit conversions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the Earth's circumference and its impact on rotational speed calculations
  • Learn about the significance of rounding in mathematical calculations
  • Explore the relationship between the Earth's rotation and its orbit around the Sun
  • Study the effects of different values of π on calculation accuracy
USEFUL FOR

Students studying A2 Physics, educators teaching uniform circular motion, and anyone interested in understanding the Earth's rotational dynamics and related calculations.

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the speed of rotation of a point on the equator

the title is the only information I have been given to work out this questions and it relates to a2 phyics uniform circular motion and the answer is 465ms-1 I just cannot get it I know the eqautor must have something to do with it PLEASE HELP

Full calculations shown please!

the textbook gives equations speed = 2pi*r/T but I am not given radius and using the radius does not give the correct answer anyway

the closest I got was 471 ms-1 using pi/24*3600 and I just used pi because I am assuming because it asks along the equ I should use 180 degrees
 
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If you're getting 471, it could just be a matter of how you're rounding some of the variables like pi or the radius of the Earth.

I used the exact same equation using the pi option on my calculator and for r, I used 6.378x10^6 and I got 463.82m/s.

Hope this helps!
 
The Earth takes 24 hours to make a full rotation with respect to the Sun. The Earth is also orbiting the Sun. This means it takes a bit less than 24 hours for that Earth to make a full rotation with respect to the stars. Another way to look at it is that the Earth rotates a bit more than 360 degrees in 24 hours. This extra little bit of rotation is what gives that answer of 465.1 m/s as opposed to the 463.8 m/s that gbaby370 obtained.
 
sazzy said:
the speed of rotation of a point on the equator

the title is the only information I have been given to work out this questions and it relates to a2 physics uniform circular motion and the answer is 465ms-1 I just cannot get it I know the equator must have something to do with it PLEASE HELP

Full calculations shown please!

the textbook gives equations speed = 2pi*r/T but I am not given radius and using the radius does not give the correct answer anyway

the closest I got was 471 ms-1 using pi/24*3600 and I just used pi because I am assuming because it asks along the equ I should use 180 degrees

Hello sazzy. Welcome to PF.

Look up the radius of Earth.

Using that, you can find circumference of Earth, which is the distance that a point on the equator travels in one day.

The number of seconds in one day is 24*3600.

If you want to divide some number by 24*3600, you should put (24*3600) in parentheses.

When you computed π/24*3600, that was equivalent to 3600*π/24 . It's just a coincidence that this gave a result that's close to the correct answer.
 

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