If a spacecraft travels at 30 km/s, how long will it take to cover 1 AU (150 million km)?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer:-
58 days
Explanation:-
To calculate the time, we use the formula: Time = Distance / Speed.
Distance = 150,000,000 km (150 million km)
Speed = 30 km/s
Time (in seconds) = 150,000,000 / 30 = 5,000,000 seconds
Time (in days) = 5,000,000 / 86,400 (since there are 86,400 seconds in a day) ≈ 57.87 days, which can be rounded to approximately 58 days.
Key Points:-
1 AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Astronomical units are used to estimate distances and speeds accurately in space travel.
This calculation demonstrates that even at extremely high speeds, it takes a long time to travel between planets in space.
Important Questions and Answers:
Question: What is the exact value of 1 AU in kilometers approximately?
Answer: Approximately 149.6 million km.
Question: How long does it take for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth at the speed of light (approx. 300,000 km/s)?
Answer: Approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds.