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It doesn't work that way. The light-year is not used to measure the speed of light. It works the other way round: First, the speed of light is determined through other methods, then the distance called a light-year is calculated based on that measurements.

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What is use by scientist to measure the distance light travel in one year?

Scientists don't measure the distance light travels in one year. They calculate it by measuring the speed of light. The speed is 300,000,000 meters/sec. and can be measured in the laboratory with a rotating mirror apparatus. To get the distance traveled by light in one year you multiply the speed (above) by the number of seconds in a year. The answer will come out in meters and is also called one light year.


Is light year per hour is a measure of speed?

No, light year per hour is not a standard measure of speed. A light year is a measure of distance, not time. It represents the distance that light travels in one year.


What is a light year and why do scientist use it?

A light year is a measure of how far light can travel in one year. It is a phenomenal distance, and is used to describe how far away stars are from us.


When scientist refer to a light year?

A light-year is the distance traveled by light in one year. Note that light moves at a speed of about 300,000 km/second.A light-year is defined to have EXACTLY 9,460,730,472,580,800 meters (or approximately 9.5 quadrillion meters).


What is the speed of a light year?

# The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion (9.46 × 1012) kilometers or 5.88 trillion (5.88 × 1012) miles.


When do light years become greater?

A light year is the distance covered by light in a year. So a light year is greatest when the speed of light is greatest: that is, in vacuum. However, since much of outer space is near vacuum, a light year is near enough a constant measure.


Are light years a measure of distanse or time?

Light years is actually a measure of distance expressed in time. For example, a galaxy is 1 light year long, which means it will take 1 year to reach that galaxy with the speed of light(c). This implies that the galaxy is c(m/year)*1 meters long.


What is the difference between a light year and a year?

A light year is actually a measure of distance. it's the distance that light travels in one earth-year. A year is a measurement of time equal to the amount of time that it takes the earth to go around the sun once.


What is the size of a light year?

It is hard to measure because light travels at such a high speed in one second that in one year, it would be too large a number to calculate. Try finding our the speed of light per second or minute and using conversions to calculate how many miles it would be. :)


How do astronomers measure light years in space?

Astronomers measure light years in space by calculating the distance that light travels in one year. They use the speed of light, which is about 186,282 miles per second, to determine how far light can travel in a year. This distance is equivalent to one light year. By observing the time it takes for light to reach Earth from distant objects in space, astronomers can estimate their distance in light years.


Is light years per century a unit of speed?

While it is truly an unconventional (and not very useful) unit, yes it is. Speed (and velocity) are shown as a ratio of elapsed distance to time. Therefore, since a light-year is a measure of distance and a century is a unit of time, this is a unit of speed (or it could be used to measure velocity).


How long in years to travel 1 ght year?

To travel 1 light-year in distance, it would take exactly 1 year when traveling at the speed of light. This is because light travels at a speed of about 186,282 miles per second, so 1 light-year represents the distance light can travel in one year.