The speed of light is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second. If the fastest spacecraft we have ever launched travels 20,000 times slower than the speed of light, it would travel at a speed of 299,792/20,000 = 14.99 kilometers per second.
To calculate the time it would take for the spacecraft to reach a star 5 light years away, we need to convert the distance to kilometers. Since 1 light year is equal to 9.461 × 10^12 kilometers, 5 light years would be equal to 5 × 9.461 × 10^12 = 4.731 × 10^13 kilometers.
Now, we can calculate the time it would take for the spacecraft to cover this distance by dividing the total distance by the spacecraft's speed:
Time = Distance / Speed
Time = (4.731 × 10^13 kilometers) / (14.99 kilometers per second)
Time = 3.154 × 10^12 seconds
Therefore, the spacecraft would take approximately 3.154 × 10^12 seconds to reach a star 5 light years away.
The fastest spacecraft we have ever launched travels 20,000 times slower than the speed of light. How long
will the spacecraft take to reach a star 5 light years away?
1 answer
1 answer