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How Fast is….
By Linda | February 14, 2008
the speed of light?
A. the speed of light in a vacuum is about 670,616,629.2 miles per hour or 983,571,056 feet per second, which is about 186,282.397 miles per second, or roughly one foot per nanosecond.
the speed of sound?
A. In dry air with a temperature of 21 °C (70 °F) the speed of sound is 1130 feet per second or 770 miles per hour.
the fastest aircraft?
A. the SR-71 Blackbird holds the current record speed of 2,242 mph set in 1990. In comparison, commercial jet airliners cruise at approximately 500 - 600 mph.
the fastest land vehicle?
The fastest car in the world is the current land speed record holder, ThrustSSC, clocked at 763 miles per hour in 1997. In comparison, Formula 1 road racing cars can reach a top speed of around 225 miles per hour.
the fastest boat?
A. The speed record of 220.493 miles per hour was set in 2004 by “Miss Budweiser”, a propeller driven hydroplane. Most modern cruise ships have a top cruising speed of 21 to 25 knots. This works out to 24.15 to 28.75 miles per hour.
the fastest land animal?
A. The Cheetah can reach speeds in excess of 64 mph in short bursts of up to 500 yards. In comparison, the top speed of a Quarter horse is about 55 miles per hour, and a racing greyhound, 45 miles per hour.
the fastest bird?
A. The Peregrine Falcon in a stoop, or dive has been clocked at speeds of over 180 miles per hour .
the fastest fish?
A. Most sources believe that the fastest species of fish is the Indo-Pacific Sailfish. It has been clocked in excess of 68 miles per hour over short periods.
the fastest human?
A. The fastest running human is Michael Johnson, the American track and field star who in 1996 set the world record of running 200 meters in 19.32 seconds reaching a top speed of 23.16 miles per hour.
a snail?
A. A garden snail named Archie, owned by Carl Branhorn of Pott Row, England, covered a 13 inch course in 2 minutes at the 1995 World Snail Racing Championships, held in Longhan, England. That converts to 0.006263 miles per hour!
Topics: Animal Kingdom, Nature, Science Factoids, Technology |
April 17th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
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