Question

While the earth’s orbit (path) about the sun is slightly elliptical, it can be approximated by a circle with a radius of

miles.

How far does the earth travel in one orbit about the sun? That is, what is the approximate circumference of the earth’s path?

Approximately how fast is the earth traveling in its orbit in space? Calculate your answer in miles per hour.

Answer 1

The radius of the Earth's orbit around the sun is approximately 93 million miles.

To calculate the circumference of the Earth's orbit, we can use the formula:

C = 2πr

where C is the circumference and r is the radius. Plugging in the value for the radius, we get:

C = 2π(93,000,000) = 584,336,000 miles

So the Earth travels approximately 584,336,000 miles in one orbit around the sun.

The speed of the Earth in its orbit around the sun can be calculated using the formula:

v = 2πr/T

where v is the velocity, r is the radius, and T is the period (the time it takes for the Earth to complete one orbit). The period of the Earth's orbit is approximately 365.25 days, or 31,557,600 seconds.

Plugging in the values, we get:

v = 2π(93,000,000)/(31,557,600) = 29,784 miles per hour

So the Earth travels at approximately 29,784 miles per hour in its orbit around the sun.