Wind and Travel: How Meterologists use Calculus to Predict Flight Times

Abstract

Suppose you want to visit New York City from San Francisco. According to Google Maps, this trip would take 47 hours to drive, each way! More likely, you would decide to save time and fly. The eastbound flight times from San Francisco to New York City are approximately 5.5 hours and the return flights are roughly 6.5 hours. Why is the eastbound flight so much shorter than the westbound? It is, after all, the same distance. The explanation is probably not a surprise-it's the wind. But have you ever asked why the winds blow from west to east across the U.S.? And what do wind patterns have to do with multivariable calculus?

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2014
Accession Number
AD1015007

Entities

People

  • Beth E. Schaubroeck
  • Julie A. Barnes
  • Thomas L. Koehler

Organizations

  • United States Air Force Academy

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Calculus
  • Continents
  • Geographic Regions
  • Mathematics
  • New York

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Maritime Security/Maritime Homeland Security