Question

what is the parallax in arcseconds of a star that is 6.1 parsecs away? express your answer to 2 significant figures. parallax: arcseconds

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the parallax - distance formula

The formula relating the distance $d$ (in parsecs) of a star and its parallax $p$ (in arc - seconds) is $d=\frac{1}{p}$. We need to solve for $p$ when $d = 6.1$ parsecs. Rearranging the formula gives $p=\frac{1}{d}$.

Step2: Substitute the given distance value

Substitute $d = 6.1$ into the formula $p=\frac{1}{d}$. So, $p=\frac{1}{6.1}\text{ arc - seconds}$.

Step3: Calculate and round to 2 significant figures

$p=\frac{1}{6.1}\approx0.163934$. Rounding to 2 significant figures, we get $p = 0.16$ arc - seconds.

Answer:

0.16