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Chapter 1: Problem 22

A reporter once described a light-year as "the time it takes light to reach us traveling at the speed of light." How would you correct this statement?

Short Answer

Expert verified
A light-year is not a measurement of time, but a measure of distance. So, the correct statement should be, 'A light-year refers to the distance that light can cover in one year, while traveling at the speed of light.'

Step by step solution

01

Correct Interpretation

Identify the error in the statement: “The time it takes light to reach us traveling at the speed of light.” Here, a light-year is described as a unit of time, which is incorrect.
02

Understand the Concept of Light-Year

Understand that a light-year is a measure of space or distance. It calculates how far light travels in one year.
03

Formulate the Correct Statement

After understanding the concept of a light-year as a unit of distance, correct the statement. So instead, a more accurate description of a light-year would be: 'A light-year is the distance that light can cover in one year while traveling at the speed of light.'

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Give the word or phrase that corresponds to the following standard abbreviations: (a) \(\mathrm{km}\), (b) \(\mathrm{cm}\), (c) s, (d) \(\mathrm{km} / \mathrm{s}\), (e) \(\mathrm{mi} / \mathrm{h}\), (f) \(\mathrm{m}\), (g) \(\mathrm{m} / \mathrm{s}\), (h) h, (i) \(\mathrm{y}\), (j) g, (k) \(\mathrm{kg}\). Which of these are units of speed? (Hint: You may have to refer to a dictionary. All of these abbreviations should be part of your working vocabulary.)

A hydrogen atom has a radius of about \(5 \times 10^{-9} \mathrm{~cm}\). The radius of the observable universe is about 14 billion light-years. How many times larger than a hydrogen atom is the observable universe? Use powers-of- ten notation.

A scientific theory is fundamentally different than the everyday use of the word "theory." List and describe any three scientific theories of your choice and creatively imagine an additional three hypothetical theories that are not scientific. Briefly describe what is scientific and what is nonscientific about each of these theories.

What are meteorites? Why are they important for understanding the history of the solar system?

Scientists assume that "reality is rational." Discuss what this means and the thinking behind it.
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