Question

(a) Neil A. Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon. The distance between the earth and the moon is 3.85 x 108 m. Find the time it took for his voice to reach earth via radio waves. (b) Someday a person will walk on Mars, which is 5.6 x 1010 m from earth at the point of closest approach. Determine the minimum time that will be required for that person's voice to reach earth.

Answer 1

a). 1.28333 seconds

b). 186.66 seconds

Step-by-step explanation:

a). Given :

Distance between the earth and the moon, d =
`$3.85 * 10^8$` m

Speed of the radio waves, c =
`$3 * 10^8$` m/s

Therefore the time required for the voice of Neil Armstrong to reach the earth via radio waves is given by :

`$t=(d)/(c)$`

`$=(3.85 * 10^8)/(3 * 10^8)$`

= 1.28333 seconds

b). Distance between Mars and the earth, d =
`$5.6 * 10^(10)$` m

Speed of the radio waves, c =
`$3 * 10^8$` m/s

So, the time required for his voice to reach earth is :

`$t=(d)/(c)$`

`$=(5.6 * 10^(10))/(3 * 10^8)$`

= 186.66 seconds