Question

Find the speed of light in feet per nanosecond, to three significant figures.

Short answer

Answer: The speed of light is approximately 0.981 ft/ns.

Step-by-step solution

Know the speed of light in meters per second

The speed of light in a vacuum is a constant value, approximately 2.99 x 10^8 meters per second.

Convert meters to feet

To convert meters to feet, we can use the conversion factor 1 meter = 3.281 feet. So, multiplying the speed of light in meters per second by the conversion factor will give us the speed of light in feet per second: (2.99 x 10^8 m/s) x (3.281 ft/m) = 9.81 x 10^8 ft/s.

Convert seconds to nanoseconds

We know that 1 second = 10^9 nanoseconds. So to convert the speed of light from feet per second to feet per nanosecond, we will divide the speed of light in feet per second by 10^9: (9.81 x 10^8 ft/s) / (10^9 ns/s) = 0.981 ft/ns

Round to three significant figures

Finally, rounding 0.981 feet per nanosecond to three significant figures, we get the result: Speed of light ≈ 0.981 ft/ns