A student witnesses a flash of lightning and then t = 6.5 s later the student hears the associated clap of thunder. Light travels at 3.0 × 108 m/s in the air. How long, t1, in seconds did it take the light to reach the student's eyes after the flash?
First, find the speed of sound, and then recall that
distance = time * speed.
Then, since time = distance/speed, divide that distance by the speed of light.
To find the time t1 it took for the light to reach the student's eyes after the flash, we need to use the speed of light and the given information.
Here's how you can solve it step by step:
1. Recall that the speed of light in air is approximately 3.0 × 10^8 m/s. This means that light travels at this speed in air.
2. The student witnesses the flash of lightning, which means that they see the light at the same time it happens.
3. The time it takes for the sound of thunder to reach the student is given as t = 6.5 s.
4. Since light travels faster than sound, the difference in time between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder is the time it took for the light to reach the student's eyes.
5. Therefore, t1 = t - 6.5 s. Substituting the given value, t1 = 6.5 s - 6.5 s = 0 s.
From the calculations above, we can conclude that it took 0 seconds (t1 = 0 s) for the light to reach the student's eyes after the flash. This is because the student witnesses the flash of lightning at the same time it happens.