To find out how far light travels in \( t = 17 \) seconds using the function \( d(t) = 186,000 t \), you can simply plug in \( 17 \) for \( t \):
\[ d(17) = 186,000 \times 17 \]
Now, perform the multiplication:
\[ d(17) = 186,000 \times 17 = 3,162,000 \]
So, light travels 3,162,000 miles in 17 seconds.
Thus, the answer is:
\( d(17) = 3,162,000 \) miles.