1. Convert units:
* Speed: We need to convert the speed from mph to feet per second (ft/s). There are 5280 feet in a mile and 3600 seconds in an hour.
300 mph * (5280 ft/mile) / (3600 s/hour) ≈ 440 ft/s
* RPM to RPS: We need to convert engine speed from revolutions per minute (RPM) to revolutions per second (RPS).
8000 RPM / 60 s/min ≈ 133.33 RPS
2. Calculate the number of revolutions:
The dragster covers 1000 ft in 4 seconds at 440 ft/s. This speed is not perfectly consistent with the given information since 1000 ft / 4 s = 250 ft/s. We'll use the average speed of 250 ft/s to avoid introducing errors. Note that in real life, the speed isn't constant due to acceleration.
We're given that the car travels 1000ft in 4 seconds. Let's assume this average speed to calculate the number of times the spark plug fires.
However, we're not given the number of cylinders in the engine. A common number for dragsters is 8.
Let's assume an 8-cylinder engine:
* Revolutions per 4 seconds: 133.33 RPS * 4 s = 533.33 revolutions
* Spark plug firings per revolution (8-cylinder engine): In an 8-cylinder engine, one spark plug fires for every 1/8 of a revolution. Therefore, there are 8 firings per revolution.
* Total spark plug firings: 533.33 revolutions * 8 firings/revolution ≈ 4267 firings
Important Note: This calculation makes several assumptions:
* Constant speed: The dragster's speed is unlikely to be constant over the 4 seconds.
* Engine speed: While we assume 8000rpm, the actual rpm may vary throughout the run.
* Consistent spark: We assume each cylinder fires reliably at every revolution.
* Number of Cylinders: The number of cylinders in the dragster's engine is crucial to the final answer.
Therefore, the number of times the #1 spark plug fires is approximately 4267 times, but this is an approximation given the provided information and assumptions. A more precise answer would need more data about the dragster's engine and its acceleration.
