The discussion revolves around calculating the orbital radius and speed of an asteroid in the asteroid belt, given its orbital period of 5 Earth years. The context involves gravitational physics and orbital mechanics.
Some participants have offered guidance on the formula to use and have confirmed the general approach as correct. However, there is a lack of consensus on the period calculation, with participants seeking clarification on the conversion from years to seconds.
There is an ongoing discussion about whether the mass of the sun can be treated as a variable in the calculations. Additionally, the conversion of the orbital period from years to seconds is under scrutiny, indicating potential confusion about unit conversions.
will the period be 31536000s. if it is, is this right:Sirus said:I believe you need the mass of the sun, unless you are allowed to give your answer as a function of that variable. Use this formula:
[tex]T=\frac{2\pi r^{\frac{3}{2}}}{\sqrt{Gm_{sun}}}[/tex]
where G is the universal gravitational constant and T is the orbital period.
oppsSirus said:Check your period calculation again. Your method looks correct.