Calculate the total force on the Earth

[anajonicholson]

Homework Statement

Calculate the total force on the Earth due to Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, assuming all four planets are in a line, as shown in the figure. The masses are MV=0.815ME, MJ=318ME, MSat=95.1ME, and the mean distances of the four planets from the Sun are 108, 150, 778, and 1430 million km

Relevant Equations

I was not given relevant equations, but I am assuming it is F = Gm1 m2/r^2

I am confused how I am supposed to figure out the answer if I do not know the mass of the earth? Do I just set it to 1 and use m1 and m2 as ratios?

 

[berkeman]

Homework Statement:: Calculate the total force on the Earth due to Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, assuming all four planets are in a line, as shown in the figure. The masses are MV=0.815ME, MJ=318ME, MSat=95.1ME, and the mean distances of the four planets from the Sun are 108, 150, 778, and 1430 million km
Relevant Equations:: I was not given relevant equations, but I am assuming it is F = Gm1 m2/r^2

I am confused how I am supposed to figure out the answer if I do not know the mass of the earth? Do I just set it to 1 and use m1 and m2 as ratios?

Welcome to PF.

Yeah, I would start by doing that, then look up ME online and plug that into the final equation to get the total force. Can you show us that work?

 

[kuruman]

Are all the planets on the same side of the Sun? You did not post the picture that goes with this. Also, don't expect a physics problem to give you the relevant equations for each problem separately. You are supposed to find which equation(s) is (are) relevant by reading the book. Nevertheless, you are supposed to post what you think is appropriate to make sure that you have thought about the problem and have done some background work. It seems that you have done that.

 

[salmanshu322]

It is the weakest force in nature. The strength of the gravitational force is proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. so you can simply put values and add them all together.