Question

The radius of the Earth’s orbit around the sun (assumed to be circular) is 1.50∙10⁸ km, and the Earth travels around this obit in 365 days. The mass of the Earth is 5.97∙10²⁴ kg.

magnitude of the orbital velocity of the Earth: 2.98.10⁴ m/s

acceleration of the earth toward the sun: 5.91.10^-3 m/s²

a) What is the magnitude of centripetal force acting on the Earth?

b) What is responsible for providing this centripetal force?

c) Calculate the gravitational acceleration OF the Earth (not ON the Earth). Hint: think of your answer to part (b), and set two forces equal to each other.

d) What would happen to the Earth’s motion if gravity was turned off? Answer as precisely aspossible.

Answer 1

In circular motion, centripetal force is required for any object to orbit.

Here this force is provided by gravitational force of sun. So earth has centripetal acceleration or gravitational acceleration towards sun.