Question

The astronauts on the Apollo moon mission left behind several reflector panels.

These allowed astronomers to measure a more precise distance to the moon by
shooting a laser to the moon, bouncing it off the panels, and returning to a sensor
on Earth. They timed the journey at 2.52 seconds. If the speed of light is
300,000,000 m/s, then how far away is the moon?

Answer 1

The distance to the Moon is calculated by using the speed of light and the round-trip time of the laser's journey. With a speed of light at 300,000,000 m/s and a round-trip time of 2.52 seconds, the calculated one-way distance to the Moon is approximately 378,000 kilometers.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the distance to the Moon using the data provided, one can use the formula distance = (speed of light) x (time) / 2. This is because the laser has to travel to the Moon and back, making the time provided the round-trip time. Given that the speed of light is 300,000,000 m/s, and the round-trip time is 2.52 seconds, the calculation would be:

Distance to the Moon = (300,000,000 m/s x 2.52 s) / 2

The division by 2 is necessary to get the one-way distance since we are given the round-trip time. Carrying out this calculation:

Distance to the Moon = (756,000,000 m) / 2 = 378,000,000 meters or 378,000 kilometers.

Therefore, the distance from Earth to Moon is approximately 378,000 kilometers.