What units?

merlyn on 2005-05-10T12:00:29

As I'm driving in to work today for $client, I see a sign:

AREA SPEED 30

OK, I'm familiar with linear speed, and the units would probably be miles-per-hour.

But what's an "area speed"? And what's that measured in? Square feet per second?

---

Maybe..

Beatnik on 2005-05-10T12:40:08

it was hillbilly country?

lawnmower

jmm on 2005-05-10T13:14:08

For a lawnmower, multiply linear speed that the mower travels by its width. That lets you determine how quickly you can cut a particular area of lawn with that mower.

Area Speed

ziggy on 2005-05-10T13:43:41

But what's an "area speed"? And what's that measured in? Square feet per second?

Actually, it's sq. ft. covered per second. That is, the area traced out under your vehicle as it travels. It's why motorcycles travel at near-relativistic speeds while tractor trailers move at a snail's pace, and double-rigs at half that pace.

or...

jbodoni on 2005-05-10T16:11:15

perhaps it's a very subtle observation about.. um.. relative changes in personal displacement?
/me ponders my own area speed increase lately.. hmm.

Coinage Of The Word In The Realm

chaoticset on 2005-05-10T17:53:38

Finally, a good term to describe the rate at which a liquid will cover a given area, assuming that the area is level and that it takes no time to pour it into that area!

I mean, we all know how often that happens...

Re:Coinage Of The Word In The Realm

drhyde on 2005-05-11T09:58:34

It happens every time you have a perfectly spherical frictionless physicist of uniform density performing the experiment.

Re:Coinage Of The Word In The Realm

jmm on 2005-05-12T14:12:03

When the liquid is spilled^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hpoured onto a laptop, it is a fractal unit, midway between area speed and volume speed, that must be measured (mostly area is covered, but the volume aspect comes in as the liquid seeps down under the keys into a new area at a different vertical level).

Displaimer: no personal experience was involved in the creation of this message, oh no, not me, not at all, I wasn't even in the room when it happened, and nothing happened anyhow.