Why do we measure some distances in astronomy in light-years and ...

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Why do we measure some distances in astronomy in light-years and some in astronomical units?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Why would the English system of units be more useful if a foot contained 10 inches?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[cat123]

Answer to Question 1

Consider using millimeters to describe the distance between New York and California, 3,920,000,000 millimeters. This distance is correct, but it is far more convenient to state the distance as 3920 kilometers. Distances in astronomy are huge when compared to distances we measure on Earth. It is simpler and more convenient to use larger distance units for discussion and calculations.

Answer to Question 2

Because our number system is base-10, having units based on 10 simplifies calculations. Fractions could be expressed in decimal notation. Prefixes could be used, such as milli-, centi-, kilo- to express lengths of varying orders of magnitudes.

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[cat123]

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