If light takes about 8.3 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth, approximately how much longer would light take to travel from Jupiter to Earth when Jupiter is at conjunction (appearing closest to the Sun in the sky) than when it is at opposition (on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun)? (Assume that light from Jupiter is not blocked by the Sun at conjunction. A diagram might help.)
A) 8.3 minutes
B) 16.6 minutes
C) 43.2 minutes
D) There is insufficient information to answer the question.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When Jupiter is at conjunction, it is approximately one astronomical unit (AU) closer to Earth than when it is at opposition, because at opposition, Earth and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the Sun, essentially adding Earth's distance from the Sun (1 AU) to the distance light must travel. Since light takes about 8.3 minutes to travel 1 AU (the average distance from the Earth to the Sun), the difference in light travel time between these two positions is roughly double that time, or 16.6 minutes.

If Light Takes About 8