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

  1. Angular speed (ω) is given by: ω=revolutions per minute×radians per revolution\omega = \text{revolutions per minute} \times \text{radians per revolution}
  2. The fan completes 7070 revolutions per minute, and each revolution is 2π2\pi radians. Therefore: ω=70×2π=140π radians per minute\omega = 70 \times 2\pi = 140\pi \text{ radians per minute}

So, the angular speed is: ω=140π radians per minute\omega = 140\pi \text{ radians per minute}

(b) Finding the Linear Speed at the Tip of a Blade in Miles per Hour

  1. Linear speed vv of a point on a rotating object is related to its angular speed by: v=rωv = r \cdot \omega where rr is the radius of the rotation in inches, and ω\omega is the angular speed in radians per minute.

  2. Since the radius rr is 18 inches, we substitute: v=18×140π=2520π inches per minutev = 18 \times 140\pi = 2520\pi \text{ inches per minute}

  3. Now, we need to convert this to miles per hour.

    • Convert inches per minute to feet per minute by dividing by 12: 2520π12=210π feet per minute\frac{2520\pi}{12} = 210\pi \text{ feet per minute}

    • Convert feet per minute to miles per hour by multiplying by 605280\frac{60}{5280} (since there are 5280 feet in a mile and 60 minutes in an hour): v=210π×605280v = 210\pi \times \frac{60}{5280}

  4. Simplify this expression: v=210×60×π5280=12600π5280v = \frac{210 \times 60 \times \pi}{5280} = \frac{12600\pi}{5280}

  5. Reducing this fraction: v=105π447.5 miles per hour (rounded to the nearest whole number)v = \frac{105\pi}{44} \approx 7.5 \text{ miles per hour (rounded to the nearest whole number)}

Final Answers

  • (a) The angular speed of the fan is 140π140\pi radians per minute.
  • (b) The linear speed of the tip of a blade is approximately 88 miles per hour (to the nearest whole number).

Would you like further clarification on any step or additional details?


  1. What is the significance of angular speed versus linear speed in practical scenarios?
  2. How does the radius of the fan affect both angular and linear speeds?
  3. How would the linear speed change if the fan were rotating at a different rate, say 100 revolutions per minute?
  4. Why do we use radians in angular speed calculations instead of degrees?
  5. 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!

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

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