Storms in the South Pacific can create waves that travel all the way to the California coast, which are 12,000 km away. How long does it take them if they travel at 15.0 m/s?

time = distance/speed

12000km / .015km/s = 800,000 seconds

t=9.26d

time=distance/speed

12000km / .015km/s = 800,000 seconds per minute.

To find out how long it takes for waves generated in the South Pacific to reach the California coast, we can use the formula:

Time = Distance / Speed

Given that the distance is 12,000 km and the speed is 15.0 m/s, we need to convert the distance into meters before plugging the values into the formula.

1 km = 1000 m

So, 12,000 km = 12,000 * 1000 m = 12,000,000 m

Now we can calculate the time:

Time = Distance / Speed
= 12,000,000 m / 15.0 m/s

Dividing 12,000,000 m by 15.0 m/s gives us:

Time = 800,000 seconds

Therefore, it takes the waves approximately 800,000 seconds to travel from the South Pacific to the California coast if they travel at a speed of 15.0 m/s.