A radio station broadcasts at 80 MHz. How long does it take for this radio signal to travel a distance of
2.0
×
10
7
m through space? (c = 3.0 × 108 m/s)

Question

A radio station broadcasts at 80 MHz. How long does it take for this radio signal to travel a distance of 
2.0
×
10
7
 m through space? (c = 3.0 × 108 m/s)

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the basic relation for signal travel time: time = distance / speed.

First, identify the given values: distance = 2.0 × 10^7 meters and speed = c = 3.0 × 10^8 meters per second.

Compute the time: (2.0 × 10^7 m) ÷ (3.0 × 10^8 m/s) = (2.0/3.0) × 10^(7−8) s = 0.666... × 10^−1 s = 6.7 × 10^−2 s.

Now evaluate the answer options:
- Option 1: 6.7 × 10^−2 s. This matches the computed result exactly, so it is the correct time.
- Option 2: 0.15 × 10^−2 s equals 1.5 × 10^−3 s (0.0015 s). This is far smaller than the correct value because the distance is large and light travels about 3.0 × 10^8 m in one second, not a millisecond.
- Option 3: 15 ms equals 0.015 s. This would correspond to a distance of about 0.015 s × 3.0 × 10^8 m/s ≈ 4.5 × 10^6 m, which is only a fraction of the given 2.0 × 10^7 m, hence incorrect.
- Option 4: 20 ms equals 0.020 s. Similar to the previous, this implies a much shorter distance than provided, so it does not align with 2.0 × 10^7 m.
- Option 5: 25 ms equals 0.025 s. Again, this is inconsistent with the large distance when traveling at light speed.

In summary, only the first option yields the correct order of magnitude and exact value for the travel time of a radio signal spanning 2.0 × 10^7 meters at the speed of light, while the others underestimate the time by factors corresponding to the shorter assumed distances.

PHYSICS 1201 SU2025 (10585) MT2 Exam- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

A radio station broadcasts at 80 MHz. How long does it take for this radio signal to travel a distance of 2.0 × 10 7 m through space? (c = 3.0 × 108 m/s)

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

As a tsunami enters shallow water, ____.

You can tell that a sound wave has passed through a particle because it has moved. This is not true for light waves.

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler