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Comets move around the sun in very elliptical orbits. At its closet approach, in 1986, Comet Halley was 8.79 x 107 km from the sun and moving with a speed of 54.6 km/s. What was the comet’s speed when it crossed Neptune’s orbit in 2006?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Speed of comment is 4.5 km/s

Step by step solution

01

Given information

The distance of the Comet Halley from the Sun was 8.79 x 107 km
the speed of the Halley Comet was 54.6 km/s
The mean radius of the Neptune orbit is 2.21 x 107 km
The mass of the Sun is 1.99x 1030 kg

02

Explanation

From law of conservation of energy

K1 + U1 = K2 + U2 ...........................................................(1)

Where

K1 = kinetic energy of Halley Comet in 1986 .
U1 = potential energy of Halley Comet in 1986 .
K2 = kinetic energy of Halley Comet in 2006 .
U2 = potential energy of Halley Comet in 2006 .

Calculate the kinetic energy of Halley Comet in 1986 using

K1=12mcv12

and calculate the potential energy

U1=-GMmcr1

Similarly calculate potential energy and kinetic energy in 2006

K2=12mcv22

and

U2=-GMmcr2

Now substitute these in equation(1)

12mcv12+-GMmcr1=12mcv22+-GMmcr2v122-GMr1=v222-GMr2v222=v122-GMr1+GMr2v2=2v122-GM1r1-1r2

Now substitute the values given and calculate

v2=2(54.6×103m/s)22-(6.67×10-11Nm2/kg2)(1.99x1030kg)1(8.79x1010m)-1(4.5×1012m)

v2= 4.5 km/s

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