FAA Ground School Practice Test

How far will an aircraft travel in 7.5 minutes with a groundspeed of 114 knots?

1. 10.25 nautical miles

2. 12.0 nautical miles

3. 14.25 nautical miles

4. 16.5 nautical miles

The correct answer is: 14.25 nautical miles

To determine how far an aircraft will travel in a specific amount of time at a given groundspeed, you can use the formula: Distance = Groundspeed × Time In this case, the aircraft's groundspeed is 114 knots, and the time is 7.5 minutes. Since knots are nautical miles per hour, it's important to convert the time from minutes to hours to ensure the units are consistent. There are 60 minutes in an hour, so: 7.5 minutes = 7.5 / 60 hours = 0.125 hours Now you can plug the values into the formula: Distance = 114 knots × 0.125 hours = 14.25 nautical miles This calculation shows that the aircraft will travel 14.25 nautical miles in 7.5 minutes at a groundspeed of 114 knots, making this the correct answer. The reasoning behind the conversions and the application of the formula is fundamental to understanding how groundspeed translates into distance traveled over time in aviation.