Why is this considered a distance measurement and not a time measurement?
2006-12-11 12:28:00 · 8 answers · asked by mely 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Very simple, a light-year IS the DISTANCE light TRAVELS in one YEAR.
A measure of distance.
2006-12-11 12:30:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
A lightyear is the distance that light travels in one year. The speed of light in a vacuum is 3.0* 10^8 m/s if that helps any. That can be used for SI to BGS conversions, or can be used to obtain the actual distance light would travel in one year.
2006-12-11 13:04:56 · answer #2 · answered by space man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because a light year is the distance light travels in one year.
Its because the word "year" is in the term that non-scientists can't seem to grasp that it is distance.
The reason: when we're dealing with huge distances in space, kilometers and miles (and the adjective billion or trillion) is just too hard to get our heads around, too hard to picture - the numbers are just too big. But a light year makes a distance in space more easily understood, plus its also a measure of the absolute minimum time for one way communication to that spot.
For example, Alpha Centauri is 4.3 light years away, or about 25.8 trillion miles. 4.3 is a simpler number to understand than 25,800,000,000 (too many zeros to be easy to grasp).
2006-12-11 12:33:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because it is relative: the distance is so far away that nobody wants to say that it is 10000000000 miles away...it is better to say it is 10 light years away (1 light year = how far light travels in one year)...knowing the speed of light..we would know this distance. The reason it is a distance measure is because the whole concept of light years was developed to measure distance...not time..check out http://www.schoolpiggyback.com ...you can ask and answer similar questions and make money...
2006-12-11 12:32:08 · answer #4 · answered by lori b 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because it IS a distance. A light-year is how far light can travel in a year.
2006-12-11 12:32:33 · answer #5 · answered by Amy F 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
light years, by definition is the amount of distance light can travel in one year. AU (astronomical units can also be used in calculations)
1 light year = 9.4605284 × 10^15 meters
1 Astronomical Unit (AU) = 149 598 000 kilometers
2006-12-11 12:40:58 · answer #6 · answered by k soni 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's both silly.
How do you think we've figure out how old the universe is? You can use light to measure time just as you can use it to measure distance!
2006-12-11 12:49:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Because a light year is how far the speed of light can travel in 1 year. It's a measurement used in astronomy for things with big big big big big big big big big big big big big big big big big big.......
distances.
2006-12-11 13:53:11 · answer #8 · answered by definitivamente06 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋