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If the speed of light is represented by c, what equation would you use to determine the distance light travels, x, in a time t?

User Alexdor
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Final answer:

To calculate the distance light travels in time t, use the equation x = c * t. The constant c represents the speed of light, which is about 3.00 x 10¸ m/s. Multiply c by the time duration (in seconds) to find the distance x.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the distance (x) that light travels in a given time (t), we use the basic equation of motion which relates speed (c), distance (x), and time (t): given as x = c * t. The speed of light (c) is a constant approximately equal to 3.00 x 10¸ meters per second (m/s). By multiplying this value by the time (t) taken in seconds, we obtain the distance (x) that light has traveled in that period.

If you are given the frequency of light (f), you can also use it to calculate the waveform properties such as wavelength (λ). The relationship between the speed of light (c), wavelength (λ), and frequency (f) is expressed as c = λ * f. Therefore, to find the wavelength of visible light with a frequency of 5.66 × 10¹⁴ Hz, we rearrange the equation to λ = c / f and plug in the values.

User Msam
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