Wind Turbine
Standards Assessed: 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2
Name ________________________
Algebra 2
Directions: Wind turbines are
becoming more common as a
source of electricity. Wyoming
has several wind farms in
operation and more are being
built. The turbines can vary in
size, often times with blades over
100 feet long!
One drawback to these super-sized turbines is the danger to birds. The blades travel at
very high speeds.
Suppose the 3-blade turbine in the picture has blades that are 150 feet long each. If the
turbine can make one full turn in 2.3 seconds, how fast is the outer tip of the blade
traveling in miles per hour?
Explain how you determined the speed of the blade including any necessary
computations, sketches, formulas, and notes.