Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305960961
Author: Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 1, Problem 3RQ
Why are light-years more convenient than miles, kilometres, or astronomical units for measuring certain distances?
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The nearest star to our sun is Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light-years from the Sun. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year (365 days). How far away, in kilometers, is Proxima Centauri from the Sun?Express your answer using two significant figures.
The speed of light in a vacuum is 2.998×10^8 m/s. What is its speed in kilometers per hour (km/h)?
What is its speed in miles per minute (mi/min)?
A square with an edge 8 cm long has an area of (8cm)(8cm) = 64 cm2. What is this area in square meters?
Group of answer choices
0.64 square meters
0.0064 square meters
6400 square meters
640,000 square meters
Which of the following does NOT correspond to the dimension of length?
Group of answer choices
fathom
yard
kilometer
parsec
angstrom
light-year
More than one of these is not a unit of length
All of these are units of length
Chapter 1 Solutions
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 1 - What is the largest dimension of which you have...Ch. 1 - What is the difference between our Solar System,...Ch. 1 - Why are light-years more convenient than miles,...Ch. 1 - Why is it difficult to detect planets orbiting...Ch. 1 - Prob. 5RQCh. 1 - What is the difference between the Milky Way and...Ch. 1 - What are the largest known structures in the...Ch. 1 - Prob. 8RQCh. 1 - How Do We Know? How does the scientific method...Ch. 1 - You and three of your friends have won an...
Ch. 1 - Think back to the last time you got a new phone...Ch. 1 - The diameter of Earth across the equator is 7928...Ch. 1 - The diameter of the Moon across its equator is...Ch. 1 - One astronomical unit is about 1.50108 km. Explain...Ch. 1 - Venus orbits 0.72 AU from the Sun. What is that...Ch. 1 - Light from the Sun takes 8 minutes to reach Earth....Ch. 1 - The Sun is almost 400 times farther from Earth...Ch. 1 - If the speed of light is 3.00105 km/s. how many...Ch. 1 - How long does it take light to cross the diameter...Ch. 1 - The nearest large galaxy to our n is about 2.5...Ch. 1 - How many galaxies like our own would it take Laid...Ch. 1 - In Figure 1-4, the division between daylight and...Ch. 1 - Prob. 2LTLCh. 1 - Prob. 3LTLCh. 1 - Prob. 4LTL
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Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- Why did early human cultures observe astronomical phenomena? Was it for scientific research?arrow_forwardWhy do you think so many people still believe in astrology and spend money on it? What psychological needs does such a belief system satisfy?arrow_forwardWhy are light-years more convenient than miles, kilometers, or AU for measuring the distances to stars and galaxies?arrow_forward
- If the speed of light is 3.0 105 km/s, how many kilometers are in a light-year? How many meters? (Hint: First look up or calculate how many seconds are in a year.)arrow_forwardIn science, wishing something to be true does not make it so. In a scientific context, what does make something true?arrow_forwardThe intensity of light from a central source varies inversely as the square of the distance. If you lived on a planet only half as far from the Sun as our Earth, how would Sun’s light intensity compare with that on Earth? How about a planet 10 times farther away than Earth?arrow_forward
- Explain why a light-year is a unit of time and distancearrow_forwardRecall that Hubble’s Law is given by V=HR; this means that H has units of inverse seconds (1/sec). A convenient laboratory set of units is to give H in km per sec per megaparsec. A parsec is 3.26 light years and the speed of light is 3 X 105 km/sec. Use 3.156 X 107 sec/yr. The first data off the then new Hubble Space telescope suggested a value of H equal to 108 km per sec per megaparsec. What is H in inverse seconds? Hint divide by the number of km in a megaparsec.arrow_forwardA light-year is the distance that light can travel in one year. Similarly, we can define a light-second, light-day, etc. as the distance that light can travel in other time intervals. Calculate the distance represented by each of the following: (Assume that the speed of light is 3 x 10^8m/s) 5 light-minutes 6 light-days 6 light-days, but this time answer in miles (enter just the number with no units)arrow_forward
- A particular star is 4.5 × 1014 km away from Earth. What is this distance in light-years (ly)?arrow_forwardWhat is the number of miles in a light-year, using (see picture) mi/s as the speed of light? I know the number of seconds in a year and 365 days will help but confused on how to put it in the equation.arrow_forwardA small light source located 1 mm in front of a 1-m2m2 opening illuminates a wall behind. If the wall is 1 mm behind the opening (2 mm from the light source), the illuminated area covers 4 m2m2. How many square meters are illuminated if the wall is 3 mm from the light source? 5 mm? 10 mm?arrow_forward
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