Radio signals travel at a rate of 3 x 10^8 meters per second. How many seconds will it take for a radio signal to travel from a satellite to the surface of the Earth if the satellite is orbiting at a height of 9.6 x 10^6.
Can someone show me how to do this so that I can not ask this again and be able to finish the rest by myself?
Nevermind, the answer, I believe, is
3.2*10^-2 seconds
. . .Right?
Yes; for Connections Academy students the correct answer is B.
Please?!
To calculate the time it takes for a radio signal to travel from a satellite to the surface of the Earth, we can use the formula:
Time = Distance / Speed
In this case, the distance the signal needs to travel is the height of the satellite above the Earth's surface, and the speed is the rate at which radio signals travel, which is given as 3 x 10^8 meters per second.
Let's plug in the values into the formula:
Distance = 9.6 x 10^6 meters
Speed = 3 x 10^8 meters per second
Time = (9.6 x 10^6 meters) / (3 x 10^8 meters per second)
To divide these numbers written in scientific notation, we subtract the exponents:
Time = 9.6 x 10^6 / 3 x 10^8 = (9.6 / 3) x (10^6 / 10^8) = 3.2 x 10^(-2)
Since the exponent is negative, we can convert it to a positive exponent by moving the decimal point to the left:
Time = 3.2 x 10^(-2) = 0.032 seconds
Therefore, it will take approximately 0.032 seconds for a radio signal to travel from the satellite to the surface of the Earth.