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

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SUMMARY

The diameter of the Milky Way is established as 1.0 x 105 light years, while the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 2.0 million light years. To create a scale model where the Milky Way and Andromeda are represented as dinner plates with a diameter of 25 cm, one must first convert the distances into a consistent unit. Specifically, using the conversion factor of 1016 meters per light year is essential for accurate calculations. The discussion emphasizes the importance of unit consistency when performing such conversions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of light year as a unit of distance
  • Basic knowledge of unit conversion
  • Familiarity with scale modeling concepts
  • Elementary physics principles related to distance and size
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the conversion of light years to meters using the factor of 1016 meters per light year
  • Explore scale modeling techniques for astronomical distances
  • Learn about the dimensions of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in more detail
  • Study the principles of proportionality in physics for accurate model representation
USEFUL FOR

Students new to physics, educators teaching astronomy, hobbyists interested in scale models of galaxies, and anyone looking to understand astronomical distances and their representations.

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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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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