Light travels at an approximate rate of 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec. There are about 3.2 x10^7 seconds in a year. About how many miles does light travel in a year?
To find the number of 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 x 10^5 mi./sec
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 x 10^7 sec
Number of miles light travels in a year = Speed of light x Number of seconds in a year
= (1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec) x (3.2 x 10^7 sec)
Multiplying the coefficients and adding the exponents, we get:
= (1.9 x 3.2) x (10^5 x 10^7) mi.
Simplifying, we get:
= 6.08 x 10^12 mi.
So, light travels approximately 6.08 x 10^12 miles in a year.