Question

the international space station orbits the earth at a speed of 7660m/s.If it has a kinetic energy of 1.24 x 1013J, what is its mass

Answer 1

4.2 x 10⁵kg

Step-by-step explanation:

Given parameters:

Speed of orbit = 7660m/s

Kinetic energy = 1.24 x 10¹³J

Unknown:

Mass = ?

Solution:

Kinetic energy is the energy due to the motion of a body. It is mathematically expressed as;

K.E =
`(1)/(2)`mv²

m is the mass

v is speed

Now insert the parameters and find the mass;

1.24 x 10¹³ =
`(1)/(2)` x m x 7660²

1.24 x 10¹³ = 2.93 x 10⁷m

m =
`(1.24 x 10^(13) )/(2.93 x 10^(7) )` = 0.42 x 10⁶kg = 4.2 x 10⁵kg