To calculate how far light travels in a year, we start with the speed of light, which is approximately \( 1.9 \times 10^5 \) miles per second. We also know that there are about \( 3.2 \times 10^7 \) seconds in a year.
To find the distance light travels in one year, we multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year:
\[ \text{Distance} = \text{Speed} \times \text{Time} \]
Substituting in the values:
\[ \text{Distance} = (1.9 \times 10^5 \text{ miles/second}) \times (3.2 \times 10^7 \text{ seconds}) \]
Now we can multiply the coefficients (1.9 and 3.2) and add the exponents (5 and 7):
\[ \text{Distance} = (1.9 \times 3.2) \times 10^{5 + 7} \]
Calculating the coefficients:
\[ 1.9 \times 3.2 = 6.08 \]
And adding the exponents:
\[ 5 + 7 = 12 \]
So the distance light travels in one year is:
\[ \text{Distance} = 6.08 \times 10^{12} \]
Thus, light travels approximately \( 6.08 \times 10^{12} \) miles in a year.
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