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------------------------------------------------ The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. What is its speed in centimeters per second?

Use the following conversions:
- 5280 feet = 1 mile
- 12 inches = 1 foot
- 2.54 cm = 1 inch

A. [tex]$3.01 \times 10^{11} \, \text{cm/s}$[/tex]
B. [tex]$3.15 \times 10^{10} \, \text{cm/s}$[/tex]
C. [tex]$2.99 \times 10^{10} \, \text{cm/s}$[/tex]
D. [tex]$3 \times 10^{11} \, \text{cm/s}$[/tex]
E. [tex]$6.06 \times 10^{12} \, \text{cm/s}$[/tex]

To convert the speed of light from miles per second to centimeters per second, we need to follow a step-by-step process involving unit conversions. Here's how it can be done:

1. Convert miles to feet:
- We know that 1 mile equals 5280 feet.
- Therefore, to convert 186,000 miles per second to feet per second:
[tex]\[
186,000 \, \text{miles/second} \times 5280 \, \text{feet/mile} = 982,080,000 \, \text{feet/second}
\][/tex]

2. Convert feet to inches:
- We know that 1 foot equals 12 inches.
- Therefore, to convert 982,080,000 feet per second to inches per second:
[tex]\[
982,080,000 \, \text{feet/second} \times 12 \, \text{inches/foot} = 11,784,960,000 \, \text{inches/second}
\][/tex]

3. Convert inches to centimeters:
- We know that 1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters.
- Therefore, to convert 11,784,960,000 inches per second to centimeters per second:
[tex]\[
11,784,960,000 \, \text{inches/second} \times 2.54 \, \text{cm/inch} = 29,933,798,400 \, \text{cm/second}
\][/tex]

So, the speed of light in centimeters per second is approximately [tex]$ 2.99 \times 10^{10} $[/tex] cm/s.

Thus, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[
\boxed{2.99 \times 10^{10} \, \text{cm/s}}
\][/tex]