1.

Calculate the time required for each of the following to travel the Sun-Earth distance:

(a) Visible light produced in the photosphere.

Time = distance /speed

=149.6x10^6/300x10^3
= 499 seconds

(b) X-rays from a flare.

X-rays travel at speed of light which is 3x10^8 m/s

Time = distance /speed

=149.6x10^6/300x10^3
= 499 seconds

(c) Solar wind particles travelling at 400 km/s.

Time = distance /speed

=149.6x10^6/400

= 374 km/s

(d) A jet aircraft travelling at 700 km/h.

Time = distance /speed

=149.6x10^6/0.194444

= 769.37x10^6 seconds

2. Assuming that the present processes within the Sun will continue, estimate how long the
Sun can last if it is losing mass at the rate of 5 thousand million kilograms per second?

Number of seconds = mass of sun/rate

= 1.989x10^30 kg/5,000,000,000,000
= 3.978x10^17 seconds
3. (a) What colour is typically associated with 600 nm? What is its frequency and period?

Colour would be Red/Orange

Speed of light, c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s 

Wavelength, λ = 600 nm = 600 × 10⁻⁹ m 

c = f λ 
Frequency, f = c / λ = (3.00 × 10⁸ m/s) / (600 × 10⁻⁹ m) = 5.00 × 10¹⁴ /s = 5.00 × 10¹⁴
Hz 

Period, T = 1 / f = 1 / (5.00 × 10¹⁴ /s) = 2.00 × 10⁻¹⁵ s

(b) What colour is typically associated with 589 nm? What is its frequency and period?

Colour would be Yellow

Speed of light, c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s 

Wavelength, λ = 589 nm = 589 × 10⁻⁹ m 

c = f λ 
Frequency, f = c / λ = (3.00 × 10⁸ m/s) / (589 × 10⁻⁹ m) = 5.09 × 10¹⁴ /s = 5.09 × 10¹⁴
Hz 

Period, T = 1 / f = 1 / (5.09 × 10¹⁴ /s) = 1.96 × 10⁻¹⁵ s

(c) In what part of the EM spectrum does the radiation from your body exist (Calculate)?
What is a typical wavelength?

The radiation emitted by human body is in the infrared region, mainly at the wavelength of
12 micron.  The wavelength of infrared radiation is between 0.75 to 1000 micron (1 micron =
10-6 metres) This wavelength is longer than that of red visible light so this explains the name
'infrared', meaning 'beyond the red'.