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Two astronauts are 2.30 m apart in their spaceship. One speaks to the other. The conversation is transmitted to earth via electromagnetic waves. The time it takes for sound waves to travel at 343 m/s through the air between the astronauts equals the time it takes for the electromagnetic waves to travel to the earth. How far away from the earth is the spaceship

User Dorca
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1 Answer

7 votes

Answer:

d = 2,011,661.81 m

The distance of the spaceship from the earth is d = 2,011,661.81 m

Step-by-step explanation:

Let t1 represent the time taken for sound to travel between the astronaut and t2 the the time taken for electromagnetic waves to travel from the spaceship to earth.

Given;

t1 = t2

t1 = distance apart/speed of sound in air

t1 = 2.30/343 = 0.0067055 seconds

t2 = t1 = 0.0067055 seconds

Speed of electromagnetic waves v2 = 3.0 × 10^8 m/s

Distance of the spaceship from the earth is d;

d = speed v2 × time t2

d = 3.0 × 10^8 m/s × 0.0067055 s

d = 2,011,661.81 m

The distance of the spaceship from the earth is d = 2,011,661.81 m

User Sebastian Viereck
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