According to this planetary data table my teacher gave me, she wants to know how many time farther from the sun Pluto is then the Earth. She included to remember that Pluto time and difference are two different operations. Help!!
2007-01-23 03:39:44 · 11 answers · asked by Momin2005 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
"She included to remember that Pluto time and difference are two different operations."
I can't parse this part.
2007-01-23 03:48:57 · answer #1 · answered by gebobs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The last part is about the difference in the operations called division (or multiplication) and subtraction.
For example, if the distance from the Sun to the planets is given in kilometres (these are only approximate numbers):
Sun-Earth: 150,000,000 km
Sun-Pluto: 6,000,000,000 km
The "difference" in distances is 5,850,000,000 km which, in astronomy, is not a very useful number. If you are trying to observe Pluto and want to find out how far Pluto is, when it is at its closest to Earth, then you use the difference.
However, if you want to know how many "times" further Pluto is from the Sun, compared to how far Earth is from the Sun, you would divide the distances:
6 billion divided by 150 million = 40
Pluto is 40 times further from the Sun (on average) than the Earth is. This number is far more useful for astronomical calculations (for example, to determine how little heat Pluto gets from the Sun).
So, "times" and "difference" are two different operations.
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I have used approximate numbers. You will get an answer close to 40, but not quite 40, when you do the calculation using real numbers.
2007-01-23 11:59:41 · answer #2 · answered by Raymond 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From what you've written, I'm not too sure either. I think part of the question is how many times farther from the sun is pluto than the earth, right? In that case, just take the distance from the sun to pluto and divide that by the distance from the sun to the earth.
Does the second part have to do with how long does it take sunlight to get to pluto compared with the time for light to get from the sun to the earth?
If you take the distance from the sun to pluto in meters and divide it by the speed of light (3 X 10^8 m/sec) you'll get that length of time. Do the same for the earth, and then divide those two answers. I know it takes about 8 minutes for light to get from the sun to the earth...
2007-01-23 11:50:22 · answer #3 · answered by hcbiochem 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess is that she is looking for two seperate answers.
She wants to know how much further from the sun Pluto is than earth in terms of distance...miles, So, example, Pluto is 6 times the distance from the sun that that earth is. You would find out the distance the sun is from the earth. Then you would find out the distance pluto is from the sun. You would divide the distance pluto is from the sun by the distance the earth is from the sun. That would be on answer.
In terms of time...I'm not sure how you would measure it but I would think it would be similar to the first example, but it terms of time. How long does it take to go from the sun to earth? How long does it take to go to Pluto from the sun? Divide the Pluto time by the earth time to get the answer. You may use traveling at the speed of light as a benchmark? any additional info in the question that you left out?
2007-01-23 11:52:27 · answer #4 · answered by BAM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you consider the Sun to Earth distance as 1, Sun to Pluto Distance is almost 40. Hence, the answer to your first question is 40.
Pluto will take 40X 40 = 160 years to go around the sun. Hence Pluto's time is 160 times slower. Aerial velocity is constant for all planets around the sun. I hope it is clear now for you.
These are two different operations.
2007-01-23 13:06:09 · answer #5 · answered by RMG 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your teacher is asking how much farther Pluto is from the sun than the Earth. (Not asking about time.) You should be able to look in your textbook for the answer.
Edit: The parsing of the question asked, and the inability to understand the teacher's question, would both seem to be related to a deficiency in understanding grammar.
2007-01-23 11:49:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you should just ask your teacher what she means, especially the second part about "remember that Pluto time and difference etc." Perhaps she needs to reword the question so simple people can understand.
2007-01-23 22:32:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Earth is 1 AU (Astronomical Unit = ~93,000,000 miles) from the sun.
Pluto is 39.52 AU's from the sun. Therefore Pluto is 39.52 times farther from the Sun than the Earth.
2007-01-23 11:57:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pluto distance is 39 A.U. from Sun.
Pluto orbit period around Sun = 248 years.
Earth distance from Sun =1 AU
2007-01-23 13:30:57 · answer #9 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(how far Pluto is from the sun) / ( how far the Earth is from the sun) = (how many time farther Pluto is from the sun)
2007-01-23 11:51:27 · answer #10 · answered by changonyx 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋