Approximately how much time does it take for sunlight to reach the earth?

Sunlight takes approximately 8 minutes and 16.6 seconds to reach the Earth, which corresponds to option [C]. This calculation is based on the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is about 149.6 million kilometers (92.96 million miles). Light travels at a speed of approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (or 186,282 miles per second) in a vacuum, and this distance determines that it takes approximately 8 minutes and 16.6 seconds for sunlight to cover this vast distance and reach Earth. This time delay is crucial for understanding solar dynamics, as observations of solar phenomena and their effects on Earth are governed by the time it takes for light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun to travel across space. The accuracy of this timing underscores the role of light speed in our ability to study and predict solar behavior, impacting fields such as astronomy, climatology, and space exploration.