Question #4555c

1 Answer
Nov 5, 2016

It will take 200 s for the radio signal to reach Mars.

Explanation:

The speed of light, #c# is #3.00xx10^8# #"m/s"# to three significant figures. All electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, travel at the speed of light. Since #c# is in m/s, convert the distance to Mars from kilometers to meters by multiplying kilometers by 1000.

#60,000,000cancel"km"xx(1000"m")/(1cancel"km")=60,000,000,000 "m"=6.00xx10^10"m"#

Now divide the distance in meters by the speed of light in m/s.

#(6.00xx10^10cancel"m")/(3.00xx10^8cancel"m"/"s")="200 s"#