This aircraft was capable of flying at Mach 3.2 at an altitude of 80,000 feet. If it would do so, what time (in minutes) would it take to complete the 5555 kilometres between New York and London?

1 answer

To calculate the time it would take for an aircraft flying at Mach 3.2 to cover a distance of 5555 kilometers, we first need to convert the speed from Mach to a speed in kilometers per hour (km/h).

  1. Mach Speed Conversion: Mach 1 is approximately equal to the speed of sound, which is about 1,236 kilometers per hour at sea level (though it varies with altitude and temperature). For an approximate value, we'll use:

    \[ \text{Mach 3.2} \approx 3.2 \times 1236 \text{ km/h} \approx 3955.2 \text{ km/h} \]

  2. Calculating Time: Next, we can use the formula for time, which is:

    \[ \text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}} \]

    Substituting in the known values:

    \[ \text{Time} = \frac{5555 \text{ km}}{3955.2 \text{ km/h}} \approx 1.404 \text{ hours} \]

  3. Convert Time to Minutes: To convert hours into minutes, multiply the hours by 60:

    \[ \text{Time in minutes} = 1.404 \text{ hours} \times 60 \text{ minutes/hour} \approx 84.24 \text{ minutes} \]

Thus, it would take approximately 84.24 minutes to complete the journey between New York and London at a speed of Mach 3.2.