Compute the moon's centripetal acceleration in its orbit around the earth. Recall that the moon orbits the earth very 38 days and that it is about 240,000 miles from earth.

What force causes this acceleration?

Question

Physics

Ivy Jimenez

22 March, 21:48

Compute the moon's centripetal acceleration in its orbit around the earth. Recall that the moon orbits the earth very 38 days and that it is about 240,000 miles from earth.

What force causes this acceleration?

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Answers (1)

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Jonathan Hanna · Answer 1

Centripetal acceleration, Ac = V^2 / R.

V = tangential speed

R = radius of the orbit

V = 2πR / T

R = 240,000 miles

T = 28 days [ i am correcting what I think is an error, because the moon orbits the earth every 28 days]

V = 2π (240,000miles) * (1,609m/miles) / (28days*24h/day*3600s/h)

V = 1,002.9m/s

Ac = V^2 / R = 0.0026 m/s^2

The force that cauces this acceleration is the gravity of our planet, as stated Lord Isaac Newton.

Compute the moon's centripetal acceleration in its orbit around the earth. Recall that the moon orbits the earth very 38 days and that it is about 240,000 miles from earth.What force causes this acceleration?

Compute the moon's centripetal acceleration in its orbit around the earth. Recall that the moon orbits the earth very 38 days and that it is about 240,000 miles from earth.

What force causes this acceleration?