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The speed of light is 299,792 kilometers per second. How long does it take sunlight to reach Earth? (See Example 5 and Example 6.)
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You know the distance and the rate. So, use the formula for time.
It takes about 499 seconds or about about
minutes.
You can also use the Distance, Rate, Time Calculator that is located in Tools.
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When posting a comment, you agree to our Terms of Use.Showing 3 commentsGuest 7 months ago |499 seconds0 0Ron Larson (author)1 decade ago |Thanks. We decided to provide the worked out solutions to all of the odd numbered exercises. As is true for most math textbooks, the worked out solutions for the even numbered exercises are available to teachers.0 0Guest 1 decade ago |I like these worked out solutions0 0 -
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The speed of light is 299,792 kilometers per second. How long does it take sunlight to reach Neptune? (See Example 5 and Example 6.)
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In the book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, the author John Gray suggests that communication is a key component to successful relationships among couples. Data transmission through space occurs at the speed of light (299,792 km/sec). How long would it take for a text message sent from Venus to reach Mars? (See Example 5 and Example 6.)
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The answer depends on where Venus and Mars are in their orbits.
Maximum Distance
Minimum Distance
So, depending on where Venus and Mars are in their orbits, the message will take between 6.7 minutes and 18.7 minutes.
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A meteor streaks through Jupiter's atmosphere causing a bright flash. How long before the flash is seen from Earth? (See Example 5 and Example 6.)
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From its discovery in 1930 to 2006, Pluto was considered our Solar System's ninth planet. In 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet due to its low mass and similarity to other dwarf planets beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt. To better understand Pluto, NASA planned a mission to Pluto called New Horizons. The spacecraft launched on January 19, 2006 and is supposed to reach Pluto 9.5 years (83,220 hours) later after traveling about 3 billion miles. What is the average speed of the spacecraft in miles per hour? (See Example 5.)
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You are given the distance and the time, so use the formula for the rate.
The New Horizons spacecraft is currently traveling at an average speed of about 36,000 miles per hour. If it took you 10 minutes to read this solution, then the New Horizons spacecraft has traveled about 6000 miles.
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What is a light-year? How is the term light-year used?
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