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Light Speed Calculator + Online Solver With Free Steps
A Light Speed Calculator is a widget that helps you to calculate the total distance traveled by light in a given time. The calculator takes the details regarding the time as the input.
The calculator outputs the numerical value of distance with appropriate units.
What Is a Light Speed Calculator?
Light Speed Calculator is an online handy tool that is designed to determine the distance light covers in a specified time.
The concept of calculating distance is an elementary topic in the field of physics. When the numerical value for the speed of light was determined, the researchers focused to calculate the distance light covers.
This led to the discovery of numerous theories like Einstein’s famous equation $e=mc^{2}$ which states that mass and energy are interchangeable. Then the concept of the light-year describes how much light can travel in one year.
Also, the speed of light is used in many formulas like $c=f\lambda$. Therefore it’s important to determine the distance light covers. It is an easy method to calculate the distance as it is the product of speed and time(d=vt).
But in the era of modern technology, you don’t need to perform calculations by hand. You need a speedy calculator that can solve these distance problems for you. That’s why we offer an advanced calculator which is known as Light Speed Calculator.
It gives you the exact value of the distance traveled by the light in a few seconds. An interesting feature about this calculator is that it can accept time values in any unit like day, week or month, etc. It saves you from the hectic process of unit conversion too.
This calculator does not require any downloading and installation. You can get it in your browser at any time and place.
How To Use the Light Speed Calculator?
You can use the Light Speed Calculator by putting various values of time in the calculator to get the distance for each value. The operation is pretty straightforward as you need to enter only one element and just by clicking a button you can get the result.
There are two simple steps that you need to follow while using the calculator. The steps are as follows:
Step 1
First of all, enter the amount of time in the input box. This can be in any unit like minutes, hours or days, weeks, etc.
Step 2
Then simply press the Calculate tab to obtain the solution. It will display the value of distance with its unit(m/s).
How Does the Light Speed Calculator Work?
This calculator works by finding the distance the light travels in the given time. The required distance is calculated when we insert the time into the calculator. This distance is calculated using the following formula:
s=c*t
Where s is the distance that light travels, c is the speed of light which is equal to 3.0 x $10^{8}$ m/s, and t is the time to cover the required distance.
Light Year
The distance that light covers at different times are of great importance. Light can travel in space because of this property of light, these distances have applications in astronomy systems.
Since the galaxy is so huge, there is a need for some reference unit that describes the distances the light travels in space. Finally, they came up with the unit called a light-year.
A light-year is a distance that light travels in one year. This distance can be found by using the formula:
s=c*t
The speed of light is constant and the time of one year in seconds is given as:
1 year= 365*24*60*60
1 year= 31,536,000 s
Hence one light-year can be calculated as:
1 light year= 3.0 x $10^{8}$ m/s * 31,536,000 s
1 light year= 9.46 x $10^{15}$ m
The distance is not only confined to a year but with the same approach, the distance that light travels in one second are called One light-second, or the distance traveled in one minute is called One light-minute can also be calculated.
This unit of distance makes it feasible to measure the distance of the earth to the sun or other planets. These distances, when measured in kilometers or miles, give very large numbers which are cumbersome to use in the calculations.
However, these distances can be measured in light-years or light minutes. For instance, the earth is about eight light minutes from the sun and Mars is about 12.7 light minutes away from the sun.
Application of Light Year
Light-year is a unit of distance and it has many applications. This unit helps to determine the age of the celestial bodies. Suppose that a star is one million light-years away. The light from this star is traveled at the speed of light.
Hence it took one million years to reach the light of the star to us. We can conclude that this star’s light was lightened up million years ago. So the star we see today is not in its actual shape but it is in that shape in which it looks a million years ago.
Similarly, the distance of our earth from the sun is about eight light minutes. The rays from the sun that we see in the daytime are generated eight light minutes ago. But we can see these rays after eight light minutes.
Solved Examples
Let’s discuss some problems solved by Light Speed Calculator to understand how it works.
Example 1
A college student while working on the celestial bodies is asked to find the distance that light travel from earth to that celestial body in five years.
Solution
The distance can easily be found by inserting the given time in the light speed calculator.
Distance light travels in five years:
3.0 x $10^{8}$ m/s * 157,680,000 s
Distance light travels in five years:
4.7304 x $10^{16}$ m
Example 2
Determine the distance that light covers in 12 hours. Use the calculator to find the exact value of distance.
Solution
The solution using the calculator is given below:
The distance light covers in twelve hours:
3.0 x $10^{8}$ m/s * 43200 s
The distance light covers in twelve hours:
1.296 x $10^{13}$ m
Example 3
An astrologist working on a mega project needs to know how much distance light can travel within 3 weeks?
Solution
The distance that light traveled in 3 weeks is given by the calculator as follows:
The distance light travels in three weeks:
3.0 x $10^{8}$ m/s * 1.814 x $10^{6}$ s
The distance light travels in three weeks:
5.442 x $10^{14}$ m