The distance between Earth and
the Moon is 3.84 * 108 m. Show that the round-trip
time for the light is 2.56 s
Thanks in advance
time = distance/speed
3.84*10^8 / 3*10^8 = 1.28 seconds each way.
To determine the round-trip time for light between Earth and the Moon, we can use the speed of light in a vacuum, which is approximately 3.00 * 10^8 meters per second.
The distance between Earth and the Moon is given as 3.84 * 10^8 meters. This distance represents the one-way journey between the two bodies. To calculate the round-trip time, we need to account for both the forward and return journey.
First, let's calculate the time taken for light to travel from Earth to the Moon:
Time taken = Distance / Speed
Time taken = (3.84 * 10^8 meters) / (3.00 * 10^8 meters per second)
Time taken = 1.28 seconds
This represents the time taken for light to travel one way from Earth to the Moon. Now, we need to account for the return journey. Since the light travels at the same speed in both directions, the return journey will also take 1.28 seconds.
Finally, we calculate the round-trip time by adding the forward and return journey times together:
Round-trip time = Forward journey time + Return journey time
Round-trip time = 1.28 seconds + 1.28 seconds
Round-trip time = 2.56 seconds
Therefore, the round-trip time for light between Earth and the Moon is 2.56 seconds.