To determine the speed of blood flow through the aorta, you would need to know the cross-sectional area of the aorta, which can be calculated using the radius of the aorta and the formula for the area of a circle:
A = π * r^2
Where A is the cross-sectional area of the aorta, π is the mathematical constant pi, and r is the radius of the aorta. Using this formula, the cross-sectional area of the aorta in your example would be:
A = π * (1.2 cm)^2 = 4.52 cm^2
With the cross-sectional area of the aorta and the rate at which blood is pumped from the heart into the aorta, you can calculate the speed of blood flow through the aorta using the formula:
v = Q / A
Where v is the speed of blood flow, Q is the rate at which blood is pumped from the heart, and A is the cross-sectional area of the aorta. Using this formula and the values from your example, the speed of blood flow through the aorta would be:
v = (6.41 L/min) / (4.52 cm^2) = 1.41 cm/s