Light travels at an approximate rate of 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec. There are about 3.2 x 10^7 seconds in a year. About how many miles does light travel in a year? Write the answer in scientific notation. Express the answer to the exact decimal place.
To find the distance light travels in a year, we can multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.
Speed of light = 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 x 10^7 seconds
Distance traveled in a year = (1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec) x (3.2 x 10^7 seconds)
This can be simplified using the rules of scientific notation:
(1.9 x 3.2) x (10^5 x 10^7) mi.
= 6.08 x 10^12 mi.
Therefore, light travels approximately 6.08 x 10^12 miles in a year.
To find out how many miles light travels in a year, we can multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.
Speed of light = 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 x 10^7 sec
Distance traveled by light in a year = Speed of light x Number of seconds in a year
= (1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec) x (3.2 x 10^7 sec)
Multiplying the numbers: (1.9 x 3.2) x (10^5 x 10^7) = 6.08 x 10^12
Therefore, light travels approximately 6.08 x 10^12 miles in a year.
To calculate the number of miles light travels in a year, we can multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.
Given:
Speed of light = 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 x 10^7 seconds
To perform the calculation, follow these steps:
Step 1: Multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year
(1.9 x 10^5) mi./sec * (3.2 x 10^7) sec
Step 2: Multiply the coefficients (the numbers outside of the exponential notation)
1.9 * 3.2 = 6.08
Step 3: Multiply the exponents (the numbers that indicate the scale)
10^5 * 10^7 = 10^(5+7) = 10^12
Step 4: Combine the result from steps 2 and 3 into scientific notation
6.08 x 10^12
Therefore, light travels approximately 6.08 x 10^12 miles in a year.