Question

Light travels at a rate of 3.00 x 10^8 m/s. It takes light 8.30 min to travel from the surface of the sun to the earth. What is the distance of the earth from the sun?

Answer 1

Answer: The distance of the earth from the sun is
`1.494* 10^(11)m`

Explanation:

Speed of light =
`3.00* 10 ^8 m/s`

Time taken to travel from sun to earth = 8.30 mins =
`8.3* 60=498sec` (1min=60 s)

As we know ; Speed is defined as the distance travelled per unit time.

`Distance=speed* time`

Hence distance between sun and earth =
`3.00* 10^8m/s* 498s=1.494* 10^(11)m`

Thus the distance of the earth from the sun is
`1.494* 10^(11)m`