The earth (mass = ) rotates around the sun in an orbit that is approximately circular
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences
Problem
The earth (mass = 6.0×1024 kg ) rotates around the sun in an orbit that is approximately circular, with a radius of 1.5×1011 m .
(a) Estimate the orbital speed of the earth around the sun.
(b) Determine the centripetal acceleration experienced by the earth.
(c) Deduce the magnitude of the gravitational force exerted on the sun by the earth.