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User Guide
Calculate how far away the receiver is from an electromagnetic wave emission source, by entering the time it takes it to travel in a vacuum between the two locations.
Electromagnetic waves are divided up into regions of what is called the electromagnetic spectrum. Starting with the shortest wavelengths, the spectrum is made up of gamma rays, x rays, ultraviolet, visible light, infra-red, microwave, and radio waves. This delay time to emission source distance calculator can be used for all types of waves in the electromagnetic spectrum travelling through a vacuum.
Enter the time delay in receiving an electromagnetic wave from the location of the emitting source, along with selecting the relevant measurement unit of time, and then select the required distance measurement unit to calculate the corresponding distance between the receiver and the emission source . The result will then be displayed in the answer box along with a dynamic conversion scale to show how the distance will vary for delay times, shorter and longer than the entered value.
Formula
The formula used to calculate the distance between the receiver or observer and the source of emission for em waves propagating through a vacuum is:
d = t · c0
Symbols
- d = Distance to emission source of EM wave
- t = Time delay before receiving EM wave
- c0 = Speed of light in a vacuum
Time Delay
Enter the time an em wave will take, to travel through a vacuum, from the source of emission to the receiving point. This time delay is often used to predict how long it would take for a radio communication to be sent between mission control and a spacecraft exploring the solar system.
Source Distance
This is the distance which the electromagnetic wave will travel between the receiving point and source of the electromagnetic wave emission.