The average distance between the surface of the earth and the surface of the sun is 1.49 × 10¹¹ m. How much time, in minutes, does it take light leaving the surface of the sun to reach the earth? A)zero minutes B)2.9 × 10^-³ min C)8.3 min D)74 min E)500 min

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speed of light is approximately 3 × 108 m/s. To find the time it takes for light to travel from the sun to the earth, we divide the distance by the speed of light:

1.49 × 1011 m ÷ 3 × 108 m/s ≈ 493 seconds ≈ 8.3 minutes

Therefore, the answer is choice C, 8.3 min.

The Average Distance Between the Surface of the Earth and the Surface