SOLUTION: I'm not sure which number I should divide by. One light-year is approximately 9.46x10^15 meters. Approximate the time in minutes for light to travel from the sun to Earth if tha

Question 13794: I'm not sure which number I should divide by.
One light-year is approximately 9.46x10^15 meters. Approximate the time in minutes for light to travel from the sun to Earth if that distance is approximately 1.50x10^11.
Answer by longjonsilver(2297) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The problem is that you have no speed quoted, just 2 lengths, so you either need to know the speed of light or work it out from the "light year" bit.

By definition, light travels 9.46x10^15 m in 1 year, so

9.46x10^15m in 1 yr
or 9.46x10^15m in 365 days (approx)
or 9.46x10^15m in 8760 hours
or 9.46x10^15m in 525600 minutes
or 9.46x10^15/525600 in 1 minute
--> 1.8x10^10 metres per minute

so, now we have speed=distance/time

so, 1.8x10^10 = (1.5x10^11)/time

--> 1.8x10^10*time = (1.5x10^11)
--> time = (1.5x10^11)/(1.8x10^10)
--> time = 8.33333 minutes

so it takes light about 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to the Earth.

jon.

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