A radio transmission from a space probe passing by Pluto 4.6 * 10¹² m away indicates a dangerous collision likely with one of Pluto's small moons.If the probe is moving at 19.4 km/s,how far will it move from the time it sent the message to Earth about its danger to the time at which it receives the command from Earth to start firing retro rockets?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The time for the message to travel to Earth and back is (2 * 4.6 * 10^12 m) / (3 * 10^8 m/s) = 3.07 * 10^4 seconds. The probe moves 19.4 km/s * 3.07 * 10^4 s = 5.95 * 10^8 m, which is approximately 6.0 * 10^8 m.

A Radio Transmission from a Space Probe Passing by Pluto