To determine how many hours it will take for the asteroid to hit Mars, we can use the formula:
\[ \text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}} \]
Given:
- Distance to Mars = \(3.311 \times 10^8\) miles
- Speed of the asteroid = \(7.7 \times 10^6\) miles/hour
Now, we can plug these values into the formula:
\[ \text{Time} = \frac{3.311 \times 10^8}{7.7 \times 10^6} \]
To simplify this, we'll divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents (since they are in scientific notation):
- Divide the coefficients:
\[ \frac{3.311}{7.7} \approx 0.430 \]
- Subtract the exponents:
\[ 10^8 / 10^6 = 10^{8-6} = 10^2 \]
- Combine the results:
\[ \text{Time} \approx 0.430 \times 10^2 \]
- Convert to proper scientific notation:
\[ 0.430 \times 10^2 = 4.30 \times 10^1 \]
Thus, the time it will take for the asteroid to hit Mars is:
\[ \boxed{4.30 \times 10^1} \text{ hours} \]