Final answer:
The Earth's average speed in its orbit around the Sun is calculated using the orbit's circumference and the time it takes to complete one orbit. Using the distance of 1.5 × 10¹¹ meters and the orbital period of 3 × 10⁷ seconds, the average speed is found to be 3.0 × 10⁴ m/s.
The speed at which Earth travels around the Sun is 3.0 x 10^4 m/s
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about calculating the average speed of Earth in its orbit around the Sun. We known that Earth takes 1 year to complete this orbit, which is equal to 3 × 10⁷ seconds. The circumference of Earth's orbit can be calculated using the formula C = 2πr, where r is the average distance from Earth to the Sun, which is 1.5 × 10¹¹ meters. Plugging the values in, we get C = 2π(1.5 × 10¹¹ m).
Once we have the circumference, we can calculate the average speed (v) using the formula v = C/t, where t is the time in seconds for one orbit around the Sun. After doing the calculations, we find that the Earth's average speed is approximately 3.0 × 10⁴ m/s, which corresponds to choice (a).
The speed at which Earth travels around the Sun can be calculated using the formula:
Speed = Distance / Time
Given that the distance between Earth and the Sun is 1.5 x 10^11 m and it takes Earth approximately 1 year (3 x 10^7 seconds) to go around the Sun, we can calculate the speed:
Speed = 1.5 x 10^11 m / 3 x 10^7 s = 5 x 10^3 m/s
Therefore, the correct answer is (a) 3.0 x 10^4 m/s.