Question

Question #8fa7d

Answer 1

You can't run between Mars and Earth. But in a spaceship going at running speeds, it would take more than 367,000 days (1000 years) to reach Mars.

Explanation:

You can't actually run between Earth and Mars because:

1. You can't leave the surface of the Mars (or the Earth) on your own power (humans can't reach escape velocity without help).

2. You would die pretty quick in space without a spacesuit. Even in a spacesuit, it would be hard to carry sufficient supplies with you. You would also get a fairly large dose of radiation on your journey.

3. Most importantly, you need something to push off of to run. No amount of moving your legs in running motion or even swimming would get you anywhere once you are in space.

But, let's assume you are in a spaceship, traveling in a straight line at a similar velocity to someone running.

The average running speed for a person is about 6.5 m/s.

The distance between the Earth and Mars varies, but the closest distance between the two planets is 206 million km and the furthest is 225 million km.

`v = d / t`

`t = d / t`

Where v is velocity, d is distance and t is time. Let's calculate the minimum time to get from Mars to the Earth:

`t = {206 times 10^9 m} /{6.5 m/s} = 31. 7 times 10^9 s`

or about 367,000 days which is 1000 years.

This is the absolute minimum time it would take. In reality, since both planets are moving, it will take longer.