Question

which of the following best represents the earths orbital speed around the sun? (hint: the earth travels about 2.6 million kilometers in one day.)

a. 3×10⁴ meters per second

b. 3×10⁴ meters per day

c. 3×10⁴ meters per day

d. 3×10⁴ meters per second

Explanation:

Step1: Convert kilometers to meters

The earth travels about 2.6 million kilometers in a day. 1 km = 1000 m, so 2.6 million km = 2.6×10⁶×1000 = 2.6×10⁹ m in a day.

Step2: Convert days to seconds

1 day = 24 hours, 1 hour = 60 minutes, 1 minute = 60 seconds. So 1 day=24×60×60 = 86400 s.

Step3: Calculate the speed in m/s

Speed \(v=\frac{d}{t}\), where \(d = 2.6×10^{9}\text{ m}\) and \(t = 86400\text{ s}\). \(v=\frac{2.6\times 10^{9}}{86400}\approx3\times10^{4}\text{ m/s}\)

Answer:

D. 3×10⁴ meters per second