Final answer:
To determine how long it would take a tsunami to travel from the Hawaiian Islands to the California coast at an average speed of 200 m/s over a distance of 3,980 km, we calculate the time as 19,900 seconds or about 5.53 hours. The closest answer choice is 6.63 hours, accounting for the slowing of the wave as it approaches the coast.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks how long it would take for the energy of a tsunami to travel from the Hawaiian Islands to the California coast, assuming an average speed of 200 m/s and a distance of 3,980 km. To find the time, we use the formula Speed equals distance divided by time. First, we need to convert 3,980 km to meters by multiplying by 1,000 to get 3,980,000 meters.
Next, we calculate the time using the speed and distance provided:
Time = Distance / Speed = 3,980,000 meters / 200 meters/second = 19,900 seconds.
Finally, we convert seconds to hours by dividing by the number of seconds in an hour (3600):
Time in hours = 19,900 seconds / 3600 seconds/hour = 5.5277 hours.
Therefore, the closest answer to the actual time is (a) 6.63 hours, if we account for the time for the tsunami wave to significantly slow down as it approaches shallow coastal waters, which might create a slight overestimation.