Level 3: How fast is light?

Space and time · level 3 of 8 · rough age 9-10 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

Light is the fastest thing there is, but it still takes time to travel. This level times it: a second and a bit from the Moon, eight minutes from the Sun, and anywhere from 3 to 22 minutes from Mars. It ends at the controls of a rover, where every command arrives minutes after it is sent.

Lesson	You will be able to
Light takes time	Explain why we see lightning before we hear thunder
The fastest thing	Use the speed of light to find how long light takes
Light from the Moon	Say how long light takes from the Moon, and how we know
Light from the Sun	Explain why we see the Sun as it was 8 minutes ago
A message to Mars	Work out how long a message takes to reach Mars
Driving a rover with a delay	Explain how rovers are driven from Earth

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