If a laser pointer is pointed at the Moon, which is 238,900 miles away, and the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, approximately how long will it take for the laser beam t... If a laser pointer is pointed at the Moon, which is 238,900 miles away, and the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, approximately how long will it take for the laser beam to reach the Moon?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking to calculate the time it takes for a laser beam to travel from Earth to the Moon, given the distance to the Moon and the speed of light. We will use the formula: time = distance / speed.

Answer

The time it takes for the laser beam to travel from the Earth to the Moon is $1.28 \text{ s}$.

Steps to Solve

Define the known variables

Distance to the Moon, $d = 384,000 \text{ km}$

Speed of light, $c = 300,000 \text{ km/s}$

Write the formula to calculate time

The formula relating distance, speed, and time is:

$$ \text{time} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{speed}} $$

Substitute the given values into the formula

Substitute $d = 384,000 \text{ km}$ and $c = 300,000 \text{ km/s}$ into the formula:

$$ \text{time} = \frac{384,000 \text{ km}}{300,000 \text{ km/s}} $$

Calculate the time

$$ \text{time} = \frac{384,000}{300,000} \text{ s} = 1.28 \text{ s} $$

The time it takes for the laser beam to travel from the Earth to the Moon is $1.28$ seconds.

More Information

It takes light approximately 1.28 seconds to travel from the Earth to the Moon. This calculation highlights the immense speed of light, even over vast distances.

Tips

A common mistake is to use inconsistent units (e.g., kilometers and meters) without converting them first. In this problem, both distance and speed are given in kilometers, so no conversion is needed. Another common mistake is to mix up the formula and divide speed by distance instead of distance by speed.

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