Calculating speeds of radio to a planet

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the calculation of the time it takes for a radio message to reach a planet from Earth. Participants explore the necessary information and concepts involved in this calculation, including distance and speed of light, as well as unit conversions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the key pieces of information needed to calculate the time for a radio message to reach a planet, suggesting distance and the speed of light as essential factors.
  • Another participant asserts that the distance traveled is sufficient information to determine the journey time.
  • A subsequent reply emphasizes the importance of knowing the speed of light, suggesting it can be easily found.
  • A later reply reiterates the need for the speed of light and introduces the idea that unit conversion may also be necessary for the calculations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of distance and the speed of light for the calculation, but there is some variation in the emphasis on additional factors like unit conversion.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions regarding the definitions of distance and speed may be implicit, and the discussion does not resolve how unit conversions might affect the calculations.

cinematic
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Hi! I need help with the method to approach a question, if I wish to calculate how long it will take for a radio message to reach a certain planet (just the general concept), what will be the key pieces of information I require?

I know I need: the distance from Earth to said planet
the distance traveled by the radio message (speed of light x journey time)

What else would I require? Any help is appreciated on this question. Thank you.
 
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The distance traveled is enough information to calculate the journey time.
 
Well, that and the speed of light, but you can look that up. :wink:
 
russ_watters said:
Well, that and the speed of light, but you can look that up. :wink:
Well, yeah. There's also a good chance you'll need to know how to convert units.
 

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