The moon subtends an angle of 57 minutes at the base-line equal to the radius of the earth. What is the distance of the moon from the earth ? Radius of the earth = 6.4 x 10⁶ m.
Correct Answer :
3.86x 10⁸ m
Solution :
The correct option is: 3.86x 10⁸ m.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
1. Understand the Given Information:
We are given:
- The angle subtended by the moon at the baseline of the earth, = 57 minutes (denoted as 57').
- The length of the baseline, which is equal to the radius of the earth, = = 6.4 x 10⁶ m.
We need to find the distance of the moon from the earth, .
2. Convert the Angle into Radians:
To use the parallax formula, the angle must be in radians.
We know that:
- 1 degree = 60 minutes (60')
- = radians
So, 1 minute is:
Therefore, the angle in radians is:
Using :
3. Apply the Distance Formula:
The relation between the baseline , distance , and subtended angle (in radians) is given by:
Rearranging this formula to solve for the distance :
4. Calculate the Distance:
Substitute the values of baseline and angle into the equation:
Expressing it in scientific notation:
Thus, the distance of the moon from the earth is approximately 3.86x 10⁸ m.
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