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Texas Instruments TI-34 MultiView? Scientific ... - Radio Shack

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Star voyage — scientific notation (Continued)<br />

Activity<br />

Present the following problem to students:<br />

You are a captain of a starship in the distant<br />

future. You have been assigned to go to Alpha<br />

Centauri and you have 5 years to get there. The<br />

distance from our sun to Alpha Centauri is<br />

2.5 x 10 13 miles. The distance from the earth to<br />

our sun is approximately 9.3 x 10 7 miles.<br />

Although we have not yet discovered how to travel<br />

at the speed of light, you live in a time where your<br />

ship can travel at the speed of light.<br />

Light travels the approximate distance of 6 x 10 12<br />

miles in 1 light year. You will take a path from<br />

earth by our sun and then on to Alpha Centauri.<br />

Will you be able to get to Alpha Centauri on time?<br />

Procedure<br />

1. Using the <strong>TI</strong>-<strong>34</strong> <strong>MultiView</strong> calculator, find the<br />

total distance you need to travel.<br />

2.5 ¿ 10 13 + 9.3 ¿ 10 7 = 2.5000093 ¿ 10 13 miles<br />

2. Next, find out how long it will take you to travel<br />

the distance. (distance traveled ¾ 1 light year)<br />

2.5000093 10 13<br />

--------------------------------------------<br />

×<br />

= 4.1666821672 years<br />

6 × 10 12<br />

3. Can you make the trip in the allotted time of<br />

5years?<br />

Yes, if your ship really could travel at the speed of<br />

light.<br />

Extension<br />

Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. A light<br />

year is the distance that light can travel in a year.<br />

Have students convert one light year to miles<br />

traveled per light year.<br />

186,<br />

000miles<br />

------------------------------------<br />

60sec<br />

-------------<br />

60min<br />

× ---------------<br />

24hrs<br />

×<br />

× -------------<br />

365days<br />

× --------------------<br />

5.87 × 10 12 miles<br />

≈ -----------------------------------------<br />

1sec 1min 1hour 1day 1year year<br />

We approximate this value using 6x10 12 miles in 1<br />

light year in this activity.<br />

Answer to student extension: It will take the starship<br />

approximately 15 years to get to Delta Centauri.<br />

³ Hint: Before you begin, make sure that<br />

the <strong>TI</strong>-<strong>34</strong> <strong>MultiView</strong> calculator is in<br />

MathPrint mode to work this<br />

problem.<br />

Hint: The Earth is approximately 9.3 x 10 7<br />

miles from the Sun.<br />

³ Follow these steps:<br />

1. Press 2.5 C13 " T 9.3 C<br />

7

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