SOLUTION: How many nanoseconds (1 nanosecond = 10^-9 s) does it take a computer signal to travel 60 cm at a rate of 2.4*10^10 cm/s ? Thank you

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Question 286433: How many nanoseconds (1 nanosecond = 10^-9 s) does it take a computer signal to travel 60 cm at a rate of 2.4*10^10 cm/s ?
Thank you
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Recall that distance = rate*time or D = rt


In this case, D=60 cm and r+=+2.4%2A10%5E10 cm/sec. Plug these values in to get 60=2.4%2A10%5E10t


Now divide both sides by 2.4 to get 25=10%5E10t


Now divide both sides by 10%5E10 to isolate 't' to get t=25%2F%2810%5E10%29


From here, it helps to remember that negative exponents effectively flip fractions. Eg. %282%2F3%29%5E%28-2%29=%283%2F2%29%5E2. This means that we can write t=25%2F%2810%5E10%29 as t=25%2F%2810%5E10%29=25%2A10%5E%28-10%29=2.5%2A10%5E%28-9%29


So the value of 't' is t=2.5%2A10%5E%28-9%29 seconds. Now just multiply this answer by 1%2F%2810%5E%28-9%29%29 (this is the given conversion factor) to convert the answer into nanoseconds to get nanoseconds


So it takes about 2.5 nanoseconds.