Mars has an average distance from the Sun of 1.52 AU.What is the max and min distance that can exist between..

Question

Mars has an average distance from the Sun of 1.52 AU.What is the max and min distance that can exist between the Earth and Mars???

Where do I even start???

The Hint I was given was: what is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun?

Does that help???

Answer 1

If you assume that Mars is always that distance from the Sun, then when Earth is on the same side of the Sun the distance is 0.52 AU and if they are on opposite sides of the Sun they are 2.52 AU apart. Of course the orbit of Mars is actually elliptical, but since they didn't mention that I assume you aren't supposed to consider it.

Answer 2

The minimum possible distance between the two planets would be when the gravitational field of the Earth and Mars mutually interfere with each other's orbits.
You need to get the mass of each and calculate the gravitational force of each, then work out how close they have to be to have their gravitational effect on each other equal more than the sun's gravitation on each.
Maximum, well I don't think there is a max, since Mars could be anywhere in the solar system.

I just read your question again, and I think you're asking something different.
I answered what you asked, but I think you meant "what is the closest and the farthest Earth and Mars get from each other", right?

Answer 3

to respond to this you need to acknowledge the place we are. Are we an observer in the international or are we on the sunshine ray shifting in the direction of earth. each thing is relative! If we are on gentle ray then it takes 0 time to realize the earth. To a guy sitting on the sunshine ray (and shifting on the fee of sunshine) the holiday could be on the spot (0 time). To an observer on earth, the sunshine ray could take a couple of minutes to get to earth.