Question

light travels at a rate of about 9,460,528,400,000,000 meters per year. what is the best approximation of the number of meters light travels in a year? a 9 x 10^15 meters b 9 x 10^14 meters c 9 x 10^13 meters d 9 x 10^16 meters

Explanation:

Step1: Write the number in scientific notation

The given number is 9,460,528,400,000,000. In scientific - notation, we move the decimal point to the left until there is only one non - zero digit to the left of the decimal point. We get 9.4605284. The number of places we moved the decimal point is 15. So, the number in scientific notation is $9.4605284\times10^{15}$.

Step2: Approximate the number

Rounding 9.4605284 to the nearest whole number gives 9. So, the approximation of the number of meters light travels in a year is $9\times10^{15}$ meters.

Answer:

A. $9\times 10^{15}$ meters