216k views
2 votes
The Moon is typically about 384,000 km from Earth. Very roughly, how long would it take light to travel from Earth to the Moon?

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

It would take light approximately 1.3 seconds to travel from Earth to the Moon, with the Moon being around 384,000 kilometers away from Earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks how long it would take light to travel from Earth to the Moon. Light, including radio waves, travels at a constant speed in the vacuum of space at approximately 299,792 kilometers per second. Given the typical moon's distance from Earth is about 384,000 kilometers, we can calculate the time it takes for light to cover this distance. The calculation would be the distance (384,000 km) divided by the speed of light (299,792 km/s), which equals approximately 1.28 seconds. Therefore, it would take light roughly 1.3 seconds to travel from Earth to the Moon.

Similarly, if someone on the Moon were to send a signal back to Earth, it would also take about 1.3 seconds for the signal to travel back.

User MrCeeJ
by
8.7k points