How do I find the acceleration of Pluto towards the sun if I have the mass of pluto ( 1.196 x 10^23 kg) it's orbital radius from the sun ( 5913.5 x 10^8 m) and it's planet radius ( 1.65 x 10^6).
Sun's mass: 2 x 10^30 kg
Sun's radius: 696 x 10^6
2007-08-21 16:43:28 · 2 answers · asked by Lucy A 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I wish I was smart enough to answer your question. However if you accept RickB's formula be advised Pluto has an eccentric orbit that takes it from 29 to 49 AU, so there is an acceleration factor involved.
2007-08-21 17:26:25 · answer #1 · answered by Caretaker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The radius of Pluto doesn't matter. Actually, neither does the Pluto's mass (it cancels out of the equation).
The sun pulls on Pluto with this force:
F = GMm/r²
(That's Newton's law of gravitation). "M" is the sun's mass, "m" is Pluto's mass, and "r" is the distance from the sun to Pluto. "G" is the Universal Gravitational Constant.
To get Pluto's acceleration, divide F by Pluto's mass (that's Newton's 2nd Law):
a = F/m = GM/r² [see how "m" canceled out?]
You're given "M" and "r". You can look up "G".
2007-08-21 23:54:12 · answer #2 · answered by RickB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋