Light travels with a constant speed, c = 2.998x10^8 m/s. (12=2+2+5+3 points) a.

Question

Light travels with a constant speed, c = 2.998x10^8 m/s. (12=2+2+5+3 points) a. You flash a light on the surface of Earth at time t0 = 0. When can this light signal be detected someone on Moon? Distance between Earth and Moon is 3.82x10^8 m. b. When can the light signal be detected someone on Sun? Distance between Earth and Sun is 1.496x10^11 m. c. You have two light signals detected on Earth, one from Moon, and the other from Sun. The signal from Moon is detected 0.52 seconds earlier that the one from Sun. Estimate the difference in times when those two signals were created at Moon and Sun, respectively. d. From c), Which signal was created earlier?

Explanation / Answer

a) time taken for light to travel from earth to moon, t = distance/speed

= 3.82*10^8/(2.998*10^8)

= 1.274 s

b) time taken for light to travel from earth to sun, t = distance/speed

= 1.496*10^11/(2.998*10^8)

= 499 s or 8.317 minutes

c) If the two signals created at a time,

the time gap = 499 - 1.274

= 497.726 s

The diffrence in time those two signals were created = 497.726 - 0.52

= 497.206 s

d) from sun

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