Final answer:
The sun is approximately 9.486 x 10^7 miles away from Earth, which is calculated by multiplying the speed of light (1.86 x 10^5 miles/second) by the time it takes for light to reach Earth from the sun (5.1 x 10^2 seconds).
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate how far away the sun is from Earth, we can use the formula distance = speed × time, where the speed of light is given as approximately 1.86 x 10^5 miles per second, and it takes light about 5.1 x 10^2 seconds to reach Earth from the sun. Multiplying these two values gives us the distance from the sun to Earth:
Distance = 1.86 x 10^5 miles/second × 5.1 x 10^2 seconds
Distance = (1.86 x 5.1) x 10^(5+2) miles
Distance = 9.486 x 10^7 miles
Therefore, the correct answer is A. 9.486 x 10^7 miles.