Question

Suppose the earth is shaped as a sphere with radius 4,0004,000 miles and suppose it rotates once every 24 hours. How many miles along the equator does it rotate each hour? (approximation is acceptable)

Answer 1

1047 miles

Step-by-step explanation:

The radius of the Earth is

`r = 4000` (miles)

So its circumference, which is the total length of the equator, is given by

`L=2\pi r= 2\pi(4000)=25133 mi`

Now we know that the Earth rotates once every 24 hours. So the distance through which the equator moves in one hour is equal to its total length divided by the number of hours, 24:

`L' = (25133 mi)/(24h)=1047 mi`