(Solar size versus orbital distance) The mean centre-to-centre distance from Earth to…
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Problem
(Solar size versus orbital distance)
The mean centre-to-centre distance from Earth to the Sun (1 astronomical unit) is 1.496×1011m. The mean diameter of the Sun is 1.392×106km.
(i) Convert the Sun’s diameter into metres and express it in scientific notation.
(ii) Calculate the ratio of the Sun’s diameter to the Earth–Sun distance, expressing your answer in scientific notation.
(iii) Using your result from part (ii), estimate how many Suns placed "edge to edge" would exactly cover the Earth–Sun distance. Write the final answer in scientific notation and comment on its order of magnitude.