Final answer:
The gravitational force between the Earth and the Sun can be calculated using Newton's law of universal gravitation. When the known values are plugged into the formula, the calculated gravitational force is approximately 3.56 x 10^22 N.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the force of gravitation between the Earth and the Sun, we use Newton's law of universal gravitation. The formula is F = (G * m1 * m2) / r^2, where F is the force of gravity, G is the gravitational constant (6.67 x 10^-11 N(m^2)/(kg^2), m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between the centers of the two masses.
For the Earth and Sun, with masses 5.98 x 10^24 kg and 2 x 10^30 kg respectively, and average distance of 1.5 x 10^11 m, we substitute these values into the formula to calculate the gravitational force.
F = (6.67 x 10^-11 N(m^2)/(kg^2) * (5.98 x 10^24 kg) * (2 x 10^30 kg)) / (1.5 x 10^11 m)^2
Performing the calculation:
F = (6.67 x 10^-11 * 5.98 x 10^24 * 2 x 10^30) / (2.25 x 10^22)
F ≈ 3.56 x 10^22 N