Light travels at an approximate rate of 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec. There are about 3.2 x 10^7 seconds in a year. About how many miles does light travel in a year? Write the answer in scientific notation. Express the answer to the exact decimal place.

Answer 1

To find the distance light travels in a year, we need to multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.

Speed of light = 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 x 10^7 sec

Distance traveled in a year = Speed of light x Number of seconds in a year

Distance traveled in a year = (1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec) x (3.2 x 10^7 sec)

Multiplying the coefficients: 1.9 x 3.2 = 6.08
Multiplying the powers of 10: 10^5 x 10^7 = 10^(5+7) = 10^12

So, the distance light travels in a year is 6.08 x 10^12 miles.