Average Speed Calculation of a Reconnaissance Plane
What is the average speed of a reconnaissance plane that flies 523 km away from its base at 588 m/s and then flies back to its base at 882 m/s?
The average speed of the reconnaissance plane is 704.17 m/s.
Explanation:
Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time
The total distance traveled by the plane is the sum of the distance traveled away from the base and the distance traveled back. Given that the plane flies 523 km away from its base and then flies back, the total distance is 2 * 523 km = 1046 km. The total time taken by the plane is the sum of the time taken to fly away from the base and the time taken to fly back. The time taken to fly away is distance / speed = 523 km / 588 m/s = 0.889 s. The time taken to fly back is distance / speed = 523 km / 882 m/s = 0.593 s. The total time is 0.889 s + 0.593 s = 1.482 s. Now we can calculate the average speed:
Average Speed = 1046 km / 1.482 s = 704.17 m/s