The speed of light is approximately 1.86* 10^5 miles per second. This

Question

The speed of light is approximately 1.86*10^5 miles per second. This approximate speed is how many miles per hour?

(A) 1.11* 10^7

(B) 6.70 * 10^7

(C) 1.11* 10^8

(D) 1.86* 10^8

(E) 6.70* 10^8

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

Other conversion problems to practice: if-an-object-travels-100-feet-in-2-seconds-what-is-the-103364.html the-rear-wheels-of-a-car-crossed-a-certain-line-0-5-second-135753.html a-train-traveling-at-a-constant-speed-down-a-straight-track-87124.html a-welder-received-an-order-to-make-a-1-million-liter-126154.html a-car-traveling-at-a-certain-constant-speed-takes-2-seconds-126658.html if-an-automobile-averaged-22-5-miles-per-gallon-of-gasoline-109083.html if-1-kilometer-is-approximately-0-6-mile-which-of-the-140731.html measuring-standards-conversion-106516.html if-the-speed-of-x-meters-per-second-is-equivalent-to-the-127005.html if-10-millimeters-equal-1-centimeter-how-many-square-48538.html Hope it helps

Zarrolou · Answer

Number of seconds in 1 hour = 60 * 60

1.86*10^5 m/s= 1.86*10^5*60*60 m/h

1.86*10^5*6*10*6*10

1.86*10^7*36 
 1.86*10^7*3.6*10 
 1.86*10^8*3.6

E: 6,7*10^8

Virgilius · Answer

This problem is fairly straightforward if you interpret the data given correctly.

We know that the speed of light is approximately \(1,86*10^5\) miles per second. If we rephrase it, we get that in 1 second we can travel \(1,86*10^5\) miles.

Since an hour is equal to 3600 seconds, based on our rephrasing, we're going to travel 3600 times the distance travelled in 1 second.

In short : \(3600*1,86*10^5 = 6,756*10^8\) which is close to answer choice E.

Hope that helped :-D

Carcass · Answer

Thanks Bunuel

I tthink the best strategy is to translate step by step the problem. If we have our quantity X (in this case 1.86*10^5) is PER second and we have to arrive to our goal HOURS so: 1.86*10^5/1 sec * 60 sec/1 minute * 60 minutes/ 1 hour --------> straight. The denominator is ininfluent because is 1 and the numerator (pretty simple) becomes 1.86*10^5 * 3.6* 10^2 ---------> In the end E. Thanks for discussion

surya167 · Answer

Fantastic, thanks Brunel.

The other collection of similar conversion problems are of great help!

VeritasPrepRon · Answer

Conversion questions can give some people fits, but remember that it will often ask you to convert from something per second to something per hour, which will always be x3600 (even during daylight savings time and even during leap years). That's the only one you need to know, which is basically multiplying by ~3.5 and then add 1,000.

1.86 is about 2, multiplying by ~3.5 gives you something a little under 7. There will only be one answer in the vicinity, so you can approximate this without ever putting pen to paper. If there are two answers that are close, then feel free to do the exact equation.

Anything that is not time will have units (example 5,280 feet in a mile, 1,000 meters in a kilometer, etc).

Personally, I'd love to see a question that crosses metric with imperial, such as "Usain Bolt runs at 10.16 meters/second, what is his speed in feet/second" but the GMAT doesn't cross these two systems (although it uses both in separate questions)

Hope this helps!
-Ron

PareshGmat · Answer

\frac{1.86 * 10^5 Miles}{Second} = \frac{1.86 * 10^5 Miles}{\frac{1}{3600} Hrs} = \frac{1.86 * 10^5 * 3600 Miles}{Hr} = 6.69 * 10^8 Miles Per Hr

Answer = E

nachobioteck · Answer

The easiest way to answer this question is by POE, it does not require any calculation (answered in 30seconds). In one hour there are 3600 seconds, therefore speed in miles/hour will be. (1.86*10^5)*3600 = (1.86*10^5)*(3.6*10^3) = some number*10^8... The key is realizing that the "some number" has to be bigger thatn 1.86 (because 1.86*3.6), and the only answer that fits that is E. Hope it helps

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Since 1 second = 1/3600 hours, we have:

(1.86 * 10^5)/1/3600

1.86 * 10^5 * 3600

1.86 * 10^7 * 36

66 * 10^7

6.6 * 10^8

Thus, the closest answer is E.

plpurva · Answer

Why did you feel the need to mke it 3.6* 10^3. We coulve kept it 36* 10^2 as well?

Krunaal · Answer

The answer choices did not have any option that is  xy.a * 10^7  where  xy.a = 36*1.86 . To have answer of the form  x.ya * 10^8  they multiplied  3.6*1.86  which is  x.ya

bumpbot · Answer

Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.

The speed of light is approximately 1.86* 10^5 miles per second. This

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Problem Solving (PS) Questions

The speed of light is approximately 1.86* 10^5 miles per second. This

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards