Question

If a giant molecular cloud is 59 pc in diameter and a shock wave sweeps through at 18 km/s, how long will it take the shock wave (in years) to sweep through the cloud?

Answer 1

The time it will take for the shock wave in years to sweep through the cloud is 3.2075 x 10⁷ years.

What is Velocity?

Velocity is the directional speed of a moving object as an indicator of its rate of change in location as perceived from a certain frame of reference and measured by a specific time standard.

As it is known that one parsec is equal to 3.086×10¹⁶ meters. Therefore, the diameter of the molecular cloud is,

Diameter of the molecule = 59 pc

                                            = 59 × 3.086×10¹⁶ meters

                                            = 1.82074 × 10¹⁸ meters

                                            = 1.82074 × 10¹⁵ kilometres

Given that the shock wave sweeps through at 18 km/s. And as it is known that velocity is the ratio of distance and time. Therefore, the time it will take for the shock wave to sweep through the molecule cloud is,

Velocity = Distance / Time

18 km/s =  1.82074 × 10¹⁵ km / Time

Time = 1.82074 × 10¹⁵ km / 18 km/s

t = 1.01152x10¹⁴ seconds

Since one year is equal to 31,536,000 seconds, therefore, the time in  years is equal to,

t = 1.01152x10¹⁵ seconds / 31,536,000 seconds per year

t = 32,075,088.79 years

t = 3.2075 x 10⁷ years

Hence, the time it will take for the shock wave in years to sweep through the cloud is 3.2075 x 10⁷ years.

Learn more about Velocity here:

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