The distance to the Andromeda Galaxy is estimated at about 2 × 10⁶ light years.A light year is the distance traveled by light in one year;if the speed of light is 3 × 10⁸ m/s,about how far is it from our galaxy to Andromeda? (1 year = 3.15 × 10⁷ s) A) 10 × 10¹⁵ m B) 1 × 10¹⁸ m C) 2 × 10²² m D) 6 × 10¹² m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the formula for distance (d) given by:

d = speed x time

where speed is the speed of light and time is the time it takes for light to travel from our galaxy to Andromeda.

First, we need to convert the distance given in light years into meters:

2 x 10^16 light years x (3.15 x 10^17 s/year) x (3 x 10^8 m/s) = 1.89 x 10^22 m

Next, we can use the formula for time given by:

time = distance/speed

time = (1.89 x 10^22 m)/(3 x 10^8 m/s) = 6.3 x 10^13 s

Finally, we can convert this time into years:

6.3 x 10^13 s/(3.15 x 10^7 s/year) = 2 x 10^6 years

Therefore, the distance from our galaxy to Andromeda is approximately 1.89 x 10^22 m, which is closest to choice C (2 x 10^22 m).

The Distance to the Andromeda Galaxy Is Estimated at About