About 8 minutes
Explanation
The time taken for sunlight to reach the Earth is determined by the distance between the Sun and the Earth and the constant speed of light in a vacuum.Detailed Calculation:
- The average distance between the Sun and the Earth is approximately 150 million kilometers (precisely 149.6 million km). This distance is referred to as one Astronomical Unit (AU).
- The speed of light is given as 300,000 km per second.
- Applying the formula for time:
Time = Distance / Speed
Time = 150,000,000 km / 300,000 km/s = 500 seconds - Converting 500 seconds into minutes:
500 / 60 ≈ 8.33 minutes
This equates to approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds. Among the given options, "About 8 minutes" is the accurate approximation.
Key Takeaway: Sunlight takes approximately 500 seconds (about 8 minutes and 20 seconds) to travel the average distance of 1 AU (150 million km) from the Sun to the Earth.