if the speed of light is 3 times 10 to the 8 power meters/seconds, how many seconds does it take light to reach the earth, if the sun is 1.5 times 10 to the 11 power meters from the earth
time = 1.5 x 10^11 รท (3.0 x 10^8)
= 0.5 x 10^3
= 5 .0 x 10^2 seconds
Just under 5 minutes
To calculate the time it takes for light to reach the Earth from the Sun, we need to divide the distance between them by the speed of light.
Given:
Speed of light (c) = 3 x 10^8 meters/second
Distance from the Sun to the Earth (d) = 1.5 x 10^11 meters
We can use the formula:
Time (t) = Distance / Speed
Substituting the values:
Time (t) = (1.5 x 10^11 meters) / (3 x 10^8 meters/second)
Now, let's simplify the calculation:
Time (t) = (1.5 x 10^11) / (3 x 10^8)
= (1.5 / 3) x 10^(11-8)
= 0.5 x 10^3
= 5 x 10^2
= 500 seconds
Therefore, it takes light approximately 500 seconds to reach the Earth from the Sun.