Keeping Mars In Orbit: Although the planet Mars orbits the Sun in a Kepler ellip
ID: 1363219 • Letter: K
Question
Keeping Mars In Orbit: Although the planet Mars orbits the Sun in a Kepler ellipse with an eccentricity of 0.09. we can approximate its orbit by a circle. If you have faith in Newton's laws then you must conclude that there is an invisible force holding Mars in a circular orbit. The data on the orbit of Mars around the sun are shown below. msun= 1.99 times 10^30 kg mmax=0.108 earth masses or = 6.46 times 10^23kg dmax= 1.523 AU = 2.28 times 10^11 m distance from the sun (=radius of circ. orbit) = 24.13 km/s (mean orbital velocity) Calculate the magnitude of the net force needed to hold Mars in its circular orbit. Please use the proper number of significant figures. What is the direction of the force as Mars orbits around the Sun? What object is the most likely source of this force? Could this force have anything in common with the force that attracts objects to the Earth?Explanation / Answer
a) F = ma = mv^2 / d
F = 6.46 x 10^23 x (24.13 x 10^3)^2 / (2.28 x 10^11)
F = 1.65 x 10^21 N
b) force is radially towards sun .
c) this is force due to gravitational force by sun on mars.
d) force that attracts object on earth is gravitational force due to sun.
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