1. Understand the Units:
* AU (Astronomical Unit): The average distance between the Earth and the Sun. 1 AU ≈ 149.6 million kilometers.
* Speed of Light: The speed at which electromagnetic radiation (including radar signals) travels. c ≈ 299,792,458 meters per second.
2. Calculate the Distance:
* The distance between Earth and Mars is given as 0.6 AU.
* Convert AU to meters: 0.6 AU * 149.6 million km/AU * 1000 m/km ≈ 89.76 million meters.
* The round-trip distance is twice the one-way distance: 89.76 million meters * 2 ≈ 179.52 million meters.
3. Calculate the Time:
* Time = Distance / Speed
* Time = 179.52 million meters / 299,792,458 meters/second ≈ 0.599 seconds.
Therefore, it would take approximately 0.599 seconds for a radar signal to complete a round-trip between Earth and Mars when they are 0.6 AU apart.
