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ScienceGirl90
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Homework Statement
Any person on the Earth is carried in a cirular path as the Earth rotates on axis. The Earth revolves once in a day. At a latitude of Φ, the distance to the axis of rotation is R = REarthcos(Φ). If Anytown's latitude is 48.8 degrees and the Earth's radius is 6378 km, what is your average speed at Anytown's latitude due to the Earth's rotation? Express your answer in m/s.
Homework Equations
R = REarthcos(Φ)
velocity=distance/time
The Attempt at a Solution
I tried first to switch the Earth's radius from kilometers into meters to get it into the right format of m/s. I tried then to put it into the equation for the distance to the axis of rotation...R=(6378000)*cos(48.8) and then divide that number by the number of seconds in a day (86400) but I don't get the right answer. I think I'm just confusing myself more than anything else. Any help would be appreciated!