If you convert 1 AU to kilometers, what is the approximate value?

If you convert 1 AU to kilometers, what is the approximate value?

• A. About 50 million kilometers
• B. About 100 million kilometers
• C. About 150 million kilometers
• D. About 1 billion kilometers

Answer: (C)

The astronomical unit measures the average distance from Earth to the Sun, which is about 149.6 million kilometers. Rounding gives 1 AU as roughly 150 million kilometers. That makes sense because this unit is a convenient yardstick for distances inside our solar system. The other numbers would place you either well short of or well beyond the Earth–Sun distance, so they don’t match the standard measurement for 1 AU.

The astronomical unit measures the average distance from Earth to the Sun, which is about 149.6 million kilometers. Rounding gives 1 AU as roughly 150 million kilometers. That makes sense because this unit is a convenient yardstick for distances inside our solar system. The other numbers would place you either well short of or well beyond the Earth–Sun distance, so they don’t match the standard measurement for 1 AU.