Final answer:
The airplane's average speed is calculated by dividing the distance traveled (3,260 kilometers) by the time taken (4 hours), resulting in 815 km/h. To convert this to meters per second, the speed is multiplied by 1,000 and then divided by 3,600, giving approximately 226.4 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating Average Speed
An airplane travels 3,260 kilometers in 4 hours. To calculate the airplane's average speed, you would divide the total distance by the total time of travel. This is similar to how you would calculate a car's average speed if it travels 150 kilometers in 3.2 hours. The average speed, denoted Vavg, is given by:
Vavg = distance ÷ time
For the airplane:
Vavg = 3,260 km ÷ 4 h = 815 km/h
This is the airplane's average speed in kilometers per hour. To convert this to meters per second, note that there are 1,000 meters in a kilometer and 3,600 seconds in an hour. Multiplying the speed in km/h by 1,000 and then dividing by 3,600 gives us the speed in m/s.
Vavg (m/s) = (Vavg (km/h) × 1,000) ÷ 3,600
Vavg (m/s) = (815 × 1,000) ÷ 3,600
Vavg (m/s) = 815,000 ÷ 3,600
Vavg (m/s) ≈ 226.4 m/s
Therefore, the airplane's average speed in meters per second is approximately 226.4 m/s, not 815 m/s as previously stated