Final answer:
Earth's average speed relative to the Sun is 47,400 m/s. Its average velocity over a year is zero.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average speed of Earth relative to the Sun can be calculated by dividing the distance traveled by Earth around the Sun in one year by the time taken. The average distance between the Earth and Sun is approximately 149.6 million kilometers, and a year has about 31,556,926 seconds. Using these values, we can calculate the average speed:
- Convert the distance to meters by multiplying by 1000.
- Divide the converted distance by the time.
The formula for average speed is:
Average Speed = Distance / Time
Plugging in the values, we get:
Average Speed = (149.6 million kilometers x 1000) meters / 31,556,926 seconds = 47,400 meters per second.
Therefore, the average speed of Earth relative to the Sun is 47,400 m/s.
The average velocity of Earth over a period of one year is zero because its displacement (change in position) over that period is zero. While the Earth does complete a full revolution around the Sun, it returns to its original position, resulting in zero displacement and therefore zero average velocity.