Light from the Sun travels 1 kilometre in \( 3.3 \times 10^{-6} \) seconds. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is \( 1.5 \times 10^{8} \) kilometres. How long does it take light to travel from the Sun to the Earth? Give your answer in minutes and seconds.
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To find the time it takes for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth, we first need to calculate the total time taken for the distance which is \( 1.5 \times 10^{8} \) kilometres. We know that light takes \( 3.3 \times 10^{-6} \) seconds to travel 1 kilometre. Therefore, to calculate the total time \( t \) for \( 1.5 \times 10^{8} \) kilometres, we can use the formula: \[ t = \text{distance} \times \text{time per km} \] Substituting the known values: \[ t = 1.5 \times 10^{8} \text{ km} \times 3.3 \times 10^{-6} \text{ seconds/km} \] Calculating that gives: \[ t = 1.5 \times 3.3 \times 10^{8} \times 10^{-6} = 4.95 \times 10^{2} \text{ seconds} = 495 \text{ seconds} \] Now, to convert this time into minutes and seconds: \[ 495 \text{ seconds} = 8 \text{ minutes} + 15 \text{ seconds} \] Thus, it takes light approximately **8 minutes and 15 seconds** to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
