## The planet Earth travels in a circular orbit at constant speed around the Sun. What is the net work done on the Earth by the gravitational a

Question

The planet Earth travels in a circular orbit at constant speed around the Sun. What is the net work done on the Earth by the gravitational attraction between it and the Sun in one complete orbit

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3 months 2021-09-02T14:48:39+00:00 1 Answers 0 views 0

WT =  3.32*10^34 J

Explanation:

The work done by the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the Earth in one complete orbit of the Earth can be calculated by using the following formula:

(1)

Fg: gravitational force between Sun and Earth

The gravitational force is given by:

(2)

G: Cavendish’s constant = 6.674*10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2

ms: mass of the sun = 1.989*10^30 kg

me: mass of the Earth = 5.972 × 10^24 kg

r: distance between Earth and Sun, this value is a constant r = R = 149,597,870 km

You replace the formula (2) in (1):

Next, you replace the values of all variables and solve obtain WT:

hence, the work done on the Earth, in one orbit, is 3.32*10^34 J