An asteroid is heading toward Mars at the rate of 7.7 ×10^4 mi./hr.if the asteroid is 3.311x10^8 miles away from Mars, how many hours will it be before it hits Mars? Write the answer in scientific notation, expressed to the exact decimal place.
To find the number of hours before the asteroid hits Mars, we need to divide the distance to Mars by the velocity of the asteroid.
Distance to Mars: 3.311 × 10^8 miles
Velocity of asteroid: 7.7 × 10^4 mi/hr
Number of hours = (Distance to Mars) / (Velocity of asteroid)
= (3.311 × 10^8 miles) / (7.7 × 10^4 mi/hr)
Now, divide the distance and subtract the exponents:
(3.311 / 7.7) × 10^(8 - 4) = 0.429 × 10^4
Convert to scientific notation with a decimal place:
0.429 × 10^4 = 4.29 × 10^3
Therefore, it will take approximately 4.29 × 10^3 hours before the asteroid hits Mars.