Circular Motion and Gravitation: Audio Guided Solution

Mechanics: Circular Motion and Gravitation

Determine the orbital speed of the Earth as it orbits about the Sun. (GIVEN: M_sun = 1.99 x 10³⁰ kg and Earth-sun distance = 1.50 x 10¹¹ m)

2.98 x 10⁴ m/s

Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
Identify the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., m = 61.7 kg, v= 18.5 m/s, R = 30.9 m, F_norm = ???.
Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Get more information on the topic of Circular Motion and Gravitation at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

Return to Overview

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27