Question

The frequencies to which the ear responds vary by a factor of 10_3 Suppose the speedometer on your car measured speeds differing by the same factor of 10_3 and the greatest speed it reads is 90.0 mi/h. What would be the slowest nonzero speed it could read?

a) 0.090 mi/h
b) 0.900 mi/h
c) 9.00 mi/h
d) 90.0 mi/h

Answer 1

The slowest nonzero speed that the speedometer could read is 0.090 mi/h, which is the result of dividing the highest speed of 90.0 mi/h by the range factor of 10^3.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the slowest speed that a speedometer, which measures speeds over a range of 103, can display if the highest speed it reports is 90.0 mi/h. To find this, we divide the highest speed by the range factor. Doing so,

Slowest Speed = Highest Speed / Range Factor

Slowest Speed = 90.0 mi/h / 103

Slowest Speed = 0.090 mi/h

Therefore, the slowest nonzero speed the speedometer could read would be 0.090 mi/h, which corresponds to option a.