A signal from a spacecraft orbiting Mars travels to Earth at a speed of 3×108 meters per second. If the distance between Earth and the spacecraft is 6.021×108 kilometers,
which of the following is closest to the number of minutes it will take for a signal from the spacecraft to reach Earth?
(1 kilometer = 1,000 meters)
We can use the general rate equation, but we need to make sure to use the correct units. Since we want to obtain the number of minutes, we need to convert seconds into minutes. For the length, we can use either kilometers or meters as long as its consistent.
d=6.021×108 km⋅1 km1,000 m
d=6.021×1011 m
r=1 second3×108 meters⋅1 minute60 seconds
r=1.8×1010 m/min
We are looking for time:
d=rt
t=rd
t=1.8×1010 m/min 6.021×1011 m
≈33 min