Final answer:
Light from the sun takes approximately 500 seconds or about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth. This is calculated by dividing the distance from Earth to the sun (1.5×108 km) by the speed of light (3×105 km/s).
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the time it takes for light from the sun to reach Earth, we can use the speed of light and the distance between the Earth and the sun. The speed of light is approximately 3×105 km/s, and the distance from the Earth to the sun is about 1.5×108 km.
We use the formula:
Time = Distance / Speed
Plugging in the values, we get:
Time = (1.5×108 km) / (3×105 km/s)
The km units cancel out, leaving us with seconds. We then perform the calculation:
Time = (1.5×108) / (3×105) = (1.5 / 3)×108-5 = 0.5×103 = 500 seconds.
Therefore, it takes 500 seconds for light to travel from the sun to Earth. To convert seconds into minutes, we divide by 60 (since there are 60 seconds in a minute):
Time in minutes = 500 seconds / 60 seconds/minute = 8.33 minutes.
Hence, it takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for light to reach Earth from the sun.