If Earth was 10 times farther away from the sun than it is now, which planet would it be closest to? (Assume all the planets are aligned with the sun and are on the same side of the sun.) Compare Earth's new distance to that planet. How far apart would they be in standard notation? How far apart in scientific notation?
If Earth was 10 times farther away from the sun than it is now, it would be closest to the planet Saturn.
As of October 2021, Earth's average distance from the sun is approximately 93 million miles. If Earth was 10 times farther away, its new distance from the sun would be 930 million miles.
Saturn has an average distance from the sun of approximately 886 million miles. Therefore, the distance between Earth and Saturn in standard notation would be 930 million miles - 886 million miles = 44 million miles.
In scientific notation, Earth's new distance from the sun would be 9.3 x 10^7 miles, while Saturn's distance from the sun would be 8.86 x 10^7 miles. Therefore, the distance between Earth and Saturn in scientific notation would be (9.3 x 10^7 miles) - (8.86 x 10^7 miles) = 0.44 x 10^7 miles or 4.4 x 10^6 miles.