The diameter of the Milky Way disc is approximately 9 x 10^20 meters. How long does it take light, traveling at 10^16 m/year to travel across the diameter of the Milky Way?
2007-03-26 13:38:09 · 6 answers · asked by DEE L 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
about 100,000-200,000 years
2007-03-26 13:42:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have a value for velocity and a value of distance. Divide the distance by the velocity to get time.
[9 x 10^20 m] / [10^16 m/year]
9 x 10^4 years
90,000 years
That's obviously as accurate as the values given for the speed of light and the diameter of the Milky Way
2007-03-26 20:45:35 · answer #2 · answered by Bhajun Singh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Milky ways diameter is 100 000 light years across. Which is 100 million times the diameter of Pluto's orbit.
2007-03-26 20:52:27 · answer #3 · answered by annmarie_tpg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the diameter was 10 x 10^20 it would be an easy one.
When you multiply and divide numbers with powers, you simply add or subtract the powers.
So, in that case 10x10^20 divided by 10x10^16 is 10x10^4, which is 10,000 years.
As the diameter is 9x10^20, you can see the answer is going to be just less than 10,000, or
9x10^3, which is 9000 years.
PS Bhajun is out by a factor of 10
Check your math, Bhajun
2007-03-26 20:45:51 · answer #4 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Estimates for the diameter of the Milky Way range from 80,000 to 100,000 light years so it takes light 80,000 to 100,000 years for light to travel from one side to the other.
Using your values, divide 9x10^20 meters by 10^16m/year giving you 90,000 years.
2007-03-26 21:18:16 · answer #5 · answered by 63vette 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
d/s = T or 9 x 10^20m / 10^16m/y = ?????y
2007-03-26 20:43:21 · answer #6 · answered by magicninja 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋