Scientific Notation Unit Test
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Question
Light travels at an approximate rate of 1.9×105 mi./sec. There are about 3.2×107 seconds in a year. About how many miles does light travel in a year? Write the answer in scientific notation. Express the answer to the exact decimal place.(1 point)
miles
To find the number of miles light travels in a year, we need to multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.
Speed of light = 1.9 × 10^5 mi./sec
Seconds in a year = 3.2 × 10^7 seconds
To find the total distance traveled in a year, we multiply these two values:
Distance = Speed × Time
Distance = 1.9 × 10^5 mi./sec × 3.2 × 10^7 seconds
Using the rules of exponentiation, we can add the exponents together:
Distance = 1.9 × 3.2 × 10^5 × 10^7 mi.
We can multiply the coefficients:
Distance = 6.08 × 10^5 × 10^7 mi.
Using the rule for multiplying numbers in scientific notation, we add the exponents:
Distance = 6.08 × 10^(5+7) mi.
Simplifying the exponent, we get:
Distance = 6.08 × 10^12 mi.
Therefore, light travels approximately 6.08 × 10^12 miles in a year.