Question

The speed of light is approximately 3 x 10⁸ m/s. How would this be written in conventional notation?

1) 0.000000003 m/s
2) 0.00000003 m/s
3) 30,000,000 m/s
4) 300,000,000 m/s

Answer 1

The speed of light in conventional notation is 300,000,000 m/s, which corresponds to the option 4) 300,000,000 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The speed of light is approximately 3 x 10⁸ m/s. The speed of light in conventional notation is 300,000,000 m/s, which corresponds to the option 4) 300,000,000 m/s. When this is written in conventional notation, it is expressed as 300,000,000 m/s. Therefore, the correct way to write the speed of light in conventional notation among the provided options is 4) 300,000,000 m/s.

It's important to note that the speed of light is constant in a vacuum, denoted by the symbol c and equal to exactly 299,792,458 m/s. The speed of light in conventional notation is 300,000,000 m/s, which corresponds to the option 4) 300,000,000 m/s. However, for many practical calculations, the speed of light is rounded to 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s.