Light travels at an approximate rate of 1.9 * 10 ^ 5 misec There are about 3.2 * 10 ^ 7 seconds in a yearAbout how many miles does light travel in a year? Write the answer in scientific notation Express the answer to the exact decimal place (point ) miles
To find the distance light travels in a year, we can multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.
Distance = Speed x Time
Distance = (1.9 * 10^5 misec) x (3.2 * 10^7 sec)
Distance = 6.08 * 10^12 miles
Therefore, light travels approximately 6.08 * 10^12 miles in a year.
To calculate the distance light travels in a year, we need to multiply the speed of light (1.9 * 10^5 miles per second) by the number of seconds in a year (3.2 * 10^7 seconds).
Let's break down the calculation step-by-step:
1. Multiply the speed of light (1.9 * 10^5 misec) by the number of seconds in a year (3.2 * 10^7 sec):
(1.9 * 10^5 misec) * (3.2 * 10^7 sec)
To multiply numbers in scientific notation, we multiply the coefficients and add the exponents:
1.9 * 3.2 * 10^5 * 10^7
2. Multiply the coefficients: 1.9 * 3.2 = 6.08
3. Add the exponents: 10^5 * 10^7 = 10^(5+7) = 10^12
Therefore, the calculation becomes:
6.08 * 10^12 miles
So, light travels approximately 6.08 * 10^12 miles in a year.
To find out how many miles light travels in a year, we can multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.
Speed of light = 1.9 * 10^5 m/s
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 * 10^7 s
Multiply the two values:
1.9 * 10^5 m/s * 3.2 * 10^7 s = 6.08 * 10^12 m
So, light travels approximately 6.08 * 10^12 meters in a year.
To convert this to miles, we can use the conversion factor: 1 mile = 1609.34 meters.
6.08 * 10^12 m / 1609.34 m = 3.77 * 10^9 miles
Therefore, light travels approximately 3.77 * 10^9 miles in a year.