How To Convert Light Years To Miles

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At first glance, you may think that a calorie-free year is a measure out of time given that it has the word year in information technology. Light years are actually a measure of distance that uses light every bit a standard. If you have always told a friend you are well-nigh v minutes away, you have also used time as a measure out of altitude.^[one] The distances between stars across the universe are very great, so astronomers utilise light years as a larger unit than miles or kilometers. To calculate the actual distance of a light twelvemonth, you simply need to multiply the speed of calorie-free by the number of seconds in a year.

1. one

   Ascertain the light year. A calorie-free year is a measure of distance equal to how far light travels in one Earth year. Because distances beyond the universe are so large, astronomers use light years. Without low-cal years, discussing the distance between two stars would require the employ of large, unruly numbers.^[2]

   • Another measure out of distance y'all may come across when learning astronomy is the parsec. It is equal to 3.26 light years. It is some other way to simplify the numbers used to calculate and talk over astronomical distances.^[3]

2. 2

   Write the formula for distance. Using the common physics formula, distance equals charge per unit times fourth dimension or d = r x t, yous can summate how long a lite year is: Light Year = (speed of light) ten (one year). Since speed of calorie-free is represented by the variable "c", you can rewrite the equation as d = c ten t, where d is the distance of a light year, c is the speed of light and t is fourth dimension.^[4]

   • If you want to know the altitude of a low-cal year in kilometers, you will need to find the speed of low-cal in kilometers per 2nd. If you want miles, you will demand the speed of lite in miles per second.
   • Yous demand to know the number of seconds in ane Earth year for this calculation.

   Advertizement

3. 3

   Ascertain the speed of calorie-free. Calorie-free in a vacuum travels at a velocity of 186,000 miles per second. This is the equivalent of 299,792 kilometers per second or 670,616,629 miles per hour.^[5] Hither we volition apply the velocity in miles-per-2nd.

   • For this calculation we will use the speed of calorie-free, c, equals 186,000 miles per 2d. This can exist rewritten in scientific note as one.86 x 10^five miles per 2nd.

4. iv

   Calculate the number of seconds in a year. To find the number of seconds in a year, you volition practise a serial of multiplications by conversions units. To convert years to seconds you lot will multiply the number of days in a year times the number of hours in a solar day, times the number of minutes in an hour, times the number of seconds in a minute.

   • i year ten 365 days/year x 24 hours/day x hour/hr ten 60 seconds/infinitesimal = 31,536,000 seconds.^[six]
   • Again, nosotros can rewrite this large number using scientific note as 3.154 x 10^vii.

5. five

   Plug variables into equation and solve. Now that y'all have defined the variables for speed of lite and fourth dimension, you can plug them into the equation d = c 10 t and solve for the altitude of a light year. Replace c with one.86 x 10⁵ miles per second and time with three.15 x 10⁷ seconds.^[7]

   • d = c x t
   • d = (1.86 ten 10^v) 10 (three.154 10 ten⁷ seconds)
   • d = 5.8 x ten¹² or five.8 trillion miles.

6. 6

   Calculate the altitude in kilometers. If y'all wanted to calculate in kilometers, simply replace the speed of light with the speed in kilometers per second: 3.00 x 10⁵. The time in seconds remains the same because there is no conversion required.^[8]

   • d = c x t
   • d = (3.00 ten 10^v) x (3.154 10 10^seven seconds)
   • d = 9.46 ten 10¹² or 9.five trillion kilometers.

Advertizing

1. 1

   Place the distance you want to convert. Before you begin, you will want to make sure that whatever distance you are working with is either in miles (if using Regal units) or in kilometers if working with metric. It doesn't brand much sense to convert smaller distances into calorie-free years, but you can if you're curious.

   • To convert feet into miles, remember that there are v,280 feet in a mile: ten ft (ane mile/5280 ft) = miles.^[9]
   • To convert meters into kilometers, simply divide by 1000: ten m (1 km/k k) = km.

2. 2

   Decide the correct conversion cistron. You need to identify the units for the altitude that you're converting to lite years. If you're converting from kilometers to low-cal years, you will utilize a different conversion factor than if you're converting from miles.

   • To catechumen from kilometers to light years, you will apply: ane light yr/(ix.46 x 10¹² km).^[ten]
   • To convert from miles to lite years, y'all will apply: ane low-cal year/(5.88 x x¹² miles).^[xi]

3. 3

   Multiply the original altitude by the conversion gene. Once you have determined the proper conversion factor, you can multiply by the original distance to obtain the altitude in light years. When numbers are large, it is best to use scientific note.

   • For example: If y'all knew that an object was approximately 14.2 x 10^fourteen miles abroad from Earth, how many light years would that be?
   • Use the miles conversion cistron: 1/(v.88 10 10¹²)
   • Multiply: (14.2 ten 10^fourteen) x (ane/(5.88 x 10¹²)) = 2.41 x x² = 241 light years.
   • The object is 241 light years away.

4. 4

   Notice help. You can ever ask for assistance from your teacher and fellow students. In that location are also many resource online and in your text book to help you when converting to light years. Don't hesitate to inquire for extra assist if you need it.

   • Remember, there are e'er multiple ways to get help when looking for an reply.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Is it true that if our dominicus suddenly blew up, we wouldn't know information technology for 8 minutes?

  

  Yep, slightly more than eight minutes.

• Question

  How do I convert light twelvemonth into km?

  

  One light year is 9.5 meg million km, and then multiply the number of low-cal years by ix.v one thousand thousand 1000000 (or 9.five trillion).

• Question

  How do I calculate how many light years Alpha Centauri is from the sun?

  

  It cannot exist calculated, only observed. For example, the observed stellar distance of Alpha Centauri from World is 4.367 lite years.

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Article Summary X

I light year is equal to five.8 trillion miles. To calculate this number, apply the formula d = c × t, where d is 1 lite year, c is the speed of low-cal, and t is the number of seconds in 1 year. The speed of light is equal to 186,000 miles per second, or the time it takes for calorie-free to travel in a vacuum. The number of seconds in i year is equal to 31,536,000 seconds. Plug these values into the formula and solve for d. For more help, like how to catechumen distances into calorie-free years, read on.

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-a-Light-Year

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