How can the mentos and soda experiment effect the real world?

Light from the sun reaches the earth in 8.3 minutes. the velocity is 3.00 x 10^8 m/s. how far is earth from the sun? i know how to get to d = (3 x 10^8 m/s)(498 sec). i just don't know how to get from there to the answer being 1.5 x 10^11 m.

How does the electric potential energy between two charged particles change if one particle is reduced by a factor of 3? a. increased by a factor of 3 b. it is decreased by a factor of 9 c. it is reduced by a factor of 3 d. it is increased by a factor of 9

Calculate the velocity of a car traveling in a straight path due east with a distance of 16 meters in 2 seconds. question 1 options: a)32 m/s b)32 m/s e c) 8 m/s e d) 8 m/s