A reporter once described a light-year as ""the time it takes light to reach us traveling at the speed of light."" How would you correct this statement?

Question

Emma Stout

Physics

25 June, 12:56

A reporter once described a light-year as ""the time it takes light to reach us traveling at the speed of light."" How would you correct this statement?

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Answers (1)

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Kenzie Myers · Answer 1

A light-year is a unit of distance. It is the distance travelled by light in one year.

Explanation:

A light-year is a unit of distance. It is the distance travelled by the light in one year. The speed of the light is 3*10⁸ m/s.

Light year also indicates how far back in time you are looking at. For example, if we are looking at something 10 light-years away that means it took light 10 years to reach us. So, in essence we are looking at the light which is 10 years old. In a way we are looking in the past.