Average Speed of a Helicopter Blade Tip Calculation

What is the average speed of the tip of the helicopter blade?

A helicopter blade spins at exactly 100 revolutions per minute. Its tip is 5.00 m from the center of rotation.

Answer:

The average speed of the tip of the helicopter blade, given it makes 100 revolutions per minute and is 5.00 m from the center of rotation, is 52.35 m/s.

To calculate the average speed of the tip of the helicopter blade, we need to consider the radius of the blade tip from the center of rotation and the angular speed of the blade.

The radius of the blade tip is 5.00 m, while the angular speed is 100 revolutions per minute. To convert the angular speed to radians per second, we use the conversion factor: 1 revolution = 2π radians and 1 minute = 60 seconds.

By applying the conversion, we find that the angular speed of the blade tip is 10.47 radians/second. With the given radius and angular speed, we can calculate the average speed by multiplying the angular speed by the radius, resulting in an average speed of 52.35 m/s.

Therefore, the average speed of the tip of the helicopter blade is 52.35 m/s, showcasing the efficiency and precision of the blade's rotation.