Answer:
The diameter of the Milky Way galaxy is approximately [tex]\(30,000,000\)[/tex]times as big as the diameter of our solar system. This means that the galaxy is about 7 orders of magnitude larger than our solar system.
Explanation:
To determine the order of magnitude difference between the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy and the diameter of our solar system, we need to compare their sizes.
Given:
[tex]- Diameter of our solar system: \(3 \times 10^{10}\) km[/tex]
[tex]- Diameter of the Milky Way galaxy: \(9 \times 10^{17}\) km[/tex]
To find the order of magnitude difference, we divide the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy by the diameter of our solar system:
[tex]\[ \frac{9 \times 10^{17}\, \text{km}}{3 \times 10^{10}\, \text{km}} = 3 \times 10^{17 - 10} = 3 \times 10^7 \][/tex]
So, the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy is approximately [tex]\(30,000,000\)[/tex]times as big as the diameter of our solar system. This means that the galaxy is about 7 orders of magnitude larger than our solar system.