9514 1404 393
Answer:
21.25 seconds
Explanation:
In miles per second, the speed of the jet is ...
(720 mi/h)/(3600 s/h) = 1/5 mi/s
The speed of the sound is the same:
(1 mi)/(5 s) = 1/5 mi/s
Then the rate of closure between the airplane and the sound is ...
(1/5 mi/s) +(1/5 mi/s) = 2/5 mi/s
To find the time required to close a gap of 8 1/2 miles, we can use the relation ...
time = distance/speed
time = (8.5 mi)/(0.4 mi/s) = 21.25 s
The pilot will hear the thunder 21.25 seconds after the flash.