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Sunlight’s 8-Minute Journey
Age 13 · Physics
Open to everyone until Friday, October 30
To keep it, print it while it is open.
In empty space, light travels in a straight line at about 300,000 kilometres every second. Even at that speed, sunlight needs about 8 minutes to cover the 150 million kilometres to Earth.
In the picture
- The Sun: the source of the light, about 150 million km away
- The light beam: a straight path at about 300,000 km/s
- Earth: where the sunlight arrives
- The clock wedge: about 8 minutes of travel time
Examples
- In a storm you see the lightning before you hear the thunder, because light is far faster than sound.
- A laser pointer or a sunbeam through a window shows that light goes in straight lines.
Key takeaways
- In a vacuum, light travels in straight lines at about 300,000 km/s.
- The sunlight you see left the Sun about 8 minutes ago.
Quiz: Sunlight’s 8-Minute Journey (Age 13)
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About how fast does light travel through empty space?
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What kind of path does light follow as it travels from the Sun to Earth through empty space?
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When you look at sunlight, when did that light leave the Sun?
The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This quiz is free there while the lesson is in the free week.
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