An asteroid is heading toward Mars at the rate of 7.7 * 10 ^ 4 * mi / h * r If the asteroid is 3.311 * 10 ^ 8 miles away from Mars, how many hours will it be before it hits Mars? Write the answer in scientific notation, expressed to the exact decimal place. (1 point)

Question

hours

Answer 1

To find the number of hours it will take for the asteroid to hit Mars, we need to divide the distance to Mars by the speed of the asteroid.

Distance to Mars = 3.311 * 10^8 miles
Speed of the asteroid = 7.7 * 10^4 mi/h

To perform the calculation, we need to divide the distance by the speed:

Time = Distance / Speed

Substituting the given values:

Time = (3.311 * 10^8 miles) / (7.7 * 10^4 mi/h)

To divide two numbers in scientific notation, we subtract the exponent of the divisor from the exponent of the dividend, then divide the coefficients:

Time = (3.311 / 7.7) * 10^(8 - 4)

Calculating the division:

Time = 0.429 + 10^4

Therefore, it will take approximately 0.429 * 10^4 hours for the asteroid to hit Mars.