What is the distance (in minutes) between the Sun and the Earth, in terms of light years?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2: 8.311
Explanation:
- The average distance between the Sun and the Earth can be measured in terms of light-minutes, relative to the speed of light.
- Speed of Light: The speed of light in space is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second.
- Average Distance: The average distance from the Sun to the Earth is approximately 150 million kilometers (149.6 million km).
- Time Calculation: If we divide the distance by the speed of light, it takes an average of 8 minutes and 20 seconds (i.e., approximately 8.311 minutes) for sunlight to reach the Earth.
- Mathematically: 149,600,000 km / 300,000 km/second ≈ 499 seconds.
- 499 seconds / 60 ≈ 8.31 minutes.
Other Important Facts Related to Astronomical Distances (for Revision):
- Questions regarding astronomical units and distances are frequently asked in competitive examinations (SSC, RRB):
- Astronomical Unit (AU): The average distance between the Sun and the Earth is defined as 1 AU.
- Light Year: This is a unit of distance (not of time). The distance traveled by light in one year is called a light year.
- Parsec: This is the largest unit of distance.
- Distance from the Moon: It takes only 1.28 seconds for moonlight to reach the Earth.
Important Questions for Upcoming Examinations:
Question: What is the Light Year a unit of?
Answer: Astronomical distance.
Question: How long does it take for sunlight to reach the Earth?
Answer: Approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds (or 500 seconds).
Question: Which is the largest unit for measuring astronomical distances?
Answer: Parsec.