Flying all the way round the Equator!

You know that drones are usually planes that fly without any pilots! They are controlled by a computer they carry. 


Image Credit: NASA

I think that very soon some drone will fly non-stop all around the equator, starting at some point on it and coming back to that point. 

Suppose the drone flies at 100 miles per hour. How long will it take to fly a complete trip, flying over the equator? 

You will have to know the distance involved. That depends on the size of the earth. Can you find out what is the distance the drone will have to fly? Then you can calculate how many hours it will take for the drone to fly this trip! Finally, you can convert the hours to days. 

Talk to people who can help you with this calculation. Or perhaps, you can look up a book to find the distance involved. Ask the librarian in your school to show you an atlas. It will probably give you the answer. The librarian may help you find it. 

Srinivasan Ramani 

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