[Problem Set] The Moon at the Speed of Light 🌕⚡

These problems can be solved more easily after completing the lesson on radians in the trigonometry course.


Level 1:

Assume the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is perfectly circular, the distance between them is exactly 380,000 km, and a complete orbit takes exactly 27 days.
Question: How many radians does the Moon cover in one day?


Level 2:

Using the answer from the previous problem, what is the distance the Moon travels around the Earth in one day?


Level 3:

What must the angular velocity (in radians per second) of the Moon be to travel at the speed of light, knowing that the speed of light is 299,792,458 m/s? Once you get the answer, imagine the Moon traveling at that speed, and you are visualizing how fast light is!

(Read Why the speed of light has no decimals and the history of the meter for more context.)