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Compute the gravitational force between the sun (M = 1.99×1030

kg) and the planet Neptune (m = 1.72×101 times the mass of the
earth, orbital radius r = 30.012 A.U.).

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The gravitational force between the Sun and Neptune can be calculated using Newton's law of gravitation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gravitational force between two objects can be calculated using Newton's law of gravitation, which states that the force is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

To calculate the gravitational force between the Sun and Neptune, we can use the equation:

F = (G * M * m) / r^2

where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant (6.67 × 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2), M is the mass of the Sun (1.99 × 10^30 kg), m is the mass of Neptune (1.72 × 10^25 kg), and r is the distance between them (30.012 AU).

Substituting the values into the equation, we find:

F = (6.67 × 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2 * 1.99 × 10^30 kg * 1.72 × 10^25 kg) / ((30.012 AU)^2)

Simplifying the equation gives us the gravitational force between the Sun and Neptune, which is approximately 3.44 x 10^-5 N.

User Luke Merrett
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