Diameter of milky way is 1.0 *10^5 light years

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the distance between scale models of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, represented as dinner plates. Participants explore the relationship between the actual distances in light years and their corresponding representations in a model, focusing on unit conversions and scaling.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about physics and seeks help with a specific calculation involving the diameters of galaxies and their scaled representations.
  • Another participant encourages the original poster to share their thoughts on the problem, suggesting that expressing ideas can help overcome fear of the subject.
  • Several participants mention the need to convert light years to meters to facilitate the calculation of distances in the scale model.
  • A participant questions the relevance of a previous clue about the number of meters in a light year, suggesting that it does not directly aid in solving the problem.
  • There is a suggestion that working in consistent units is beneficial for clarity, especially for those new to the subject.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best approach to solve the problem, and there are differing opinions on the usefulness of certain pieces of information provided.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about unit conversions and the scaling process remain unaddressed, and the discussion does not resolve how to effectively apply the given information to find the distance between the plates.

lilydaisy15
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hey guys, I'm new to physics .. and to be frank it seems scary. :-p
anyways i was wondering if anyone could help me with this:
The diameter of milky way is 1.0 *10^5 lightyears (ly). The distance to Andromeda is about 2.0 million ly. If a scale model represents the milky ways and andromeda galaxies as dinner plates 25 cm in diameter, determine the distance between the two plates.

thanks you guys!
 
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The best way to overcoming your "fear" of physics is daring to express your own ideas!

So, what do YOU think is needed here?
 
I'll give you a clue to start you off, there are about 10^16 metres per light year.
 
colinr said:
I'll give you a clue to start you off, there are about 10^16 metres per light year.

I don't see how that helps at all!

lilydaisy15: your model is making 100000 ly correspond to 25 cm.
what would 2 million= 2000000 ly correspond to?
 
well don't you need to know how many metres are in a light year before you can think about how many 25 cm are in 2 million light years
 
well ok, you don't, but it is better to work in the same units for stuff like this when you're new to the subject
 

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