If the Atlas V rocket travels $1$ mile in $\frac{1}{10}$ of a second, what is its average velocity in miles per hour?

• A. $360$ miles per hour
• B. $\mathrm{36,000}$ miles per hour
• C. $600$ miles per hour
• D. $\mathrm{6,000}$ miles per hour

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the given quantities: the rocket travels 1 mile in \( \frac{1}{10} \) of a second.
2. Recall that average velocity is given by the formula \( \text{velocity} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}} \). Here, distance is 1 mile and time is \( \frac{1}{10} \) seconds.
3. Calculate the velocity in miles per second by dividing the distance by the time: \( \frac{1 \text{ mile}}{\frac{1}{10} \text{ second}} = 1 \times 10 = 10 \) miles per second.
4. Convert the velocity from miles per second to miles per hour by multiplying by the number of seconds in an hour (3600 seconds): \( 10 \times 3600 \) miles per hour.
5. The result from the previous step gives the average velocity in miles per hour.