Helicopter blades withstand tremendous stresses. In addition to supporting the weight of the helicopter, they are spun at rapid rates and experience large centripetal accelerations, especially at the tip.
(a) Calculate the centripetal acceleration at the tip of a 4.00 m long helicopter blade that rotates at 300 rpm.
(b) Compare the linear speed of the tip with the speed of sound (taken to be 340 m/s on this day).