Math Problem Statement
A ceiling fan has 18-inch blades (so the radius of the circular fan is 18 inches). Suppose the fan turns at a rate of 70 revolutions per minute. (a) Find the angular speed of the fan in radians per minute. (b) Find the linear speed of the tip of a blade in miles per hour. (Use the fact that 1 mi = 5280 ft.) Do not round any intermediate computations, and round your answer to the nearest whole number.
Solution
To solve this, we’ll go through each part systematically.
(a) Finding the Angular Speed in Radians per Minute
- Angular speed (ω) is given by:
- The fan completes revolutions per minute, and each revolution is radians. Therefore:
So, the angular speed is:
(b) Finding the Linear Speed at the Tip of a Blade in Miles per Hour
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Linear speed of a point on a rotating object is related to its angular speed by: where is the radius of the rotation in inches, and is the angular speed in radians per minute.
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Since the radius is 18 inches, we substitute:
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Now, we need to convert this to miles per hour.
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Convert inches per minute to feet per minute by dividing by 12:
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Convert feet per minute to miles per hour by multiplying by (since there are 5280 feet in a mile and 60 minutes in an hour):
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Simplify this expression:
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Reducing this fraction:
Final Answers
- (a) The angular speed of the fan is radians per minute.
- (b) The linear speed of the tip of a blade is approximately miles per hour (to the nearest whole number).
Would you like further clarification on any step or additional details?
- What is the significance of angular speed versus linear speed in practical scenarios?
- How does the radius of the fan affect both angular and linear speeds?
- How would the linear speed change if the fan were rotating at a different rate, say 100 revolutions per minute?
- Why do we use radians in angular speed calculations instead of degrees?
- How might this conversion process apply to other rotating objects, like a car wheel?
Tip: Always check units carefully during conversion steps to avoid errors, especially with angular and linear speeds!
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Trigonometry
Angular Speed
Linear Speed
Unit Conversion
Formulas
Angular speed formula: ω = revolutions per minute × radians per revolution
Linear speed formula: v = r × ω
Unit conversions: inches to feet, feet per minute to miles per hour
Theorems
Relationship between linear and angular velocity
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 10-12
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