Question

Suppose k = 1.09. Find the actual speed if your speedometer reading is 55 miles per hour

a) 50.46 mph
b) 55 mph
c) 59.95 mph
d) 60.05 mph

Answer 1

To find the actual speed when the speedometer reading is 55 miles per hour, take into account the uncertainty in the speedometer reading and calculate the range of possible speeds.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the actual speed when the speedometer reading is 55 miles per hour, we need to take into account the uncertainty in the speedometer reading. Since the speedometer has a 5.0% uncertainty, the range of possible speeds can be calculated by multiplying the speedometer reading by 1 plus or minus the percentage uncertainty. Therefore:

Minimum possible speed = 55 mph * (1 - 0.050) = 55 mph * 0.950 = 52.25 mph

Maximum possible speed = 55 mph * (1 + 0.050) = 55 mph * 1.050 = 57.75 mph

Therefore, the actual speed when the speedometer reading is 55 miles per hour lies between 52.25 mph and 57.75 mph.