- #1
nitrostar
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I have this problem:
The question says: A binary star system has two stars, each with the same mass as our sun, separated by 1x10^12m. A comet is very far away and essentially at rest. Slowly but surely, gravity pulls the comet toward the stars. Suppose the comet travels along a straight line that passes through the midpoint between the two stars. What is the comet's speed at the midpoint?
I set up the system like this:
where c=comet
m = midpoint
bs1 and bs2 are the binary stars
We know Fxnet=0
And Fynet = 2*Fybs2
Fbs2=mMG/r^2
if we set up an angle @ between the commet and bs2 we can deduce that
sin@=5*10^11/r
so
r=5*10^11/sin@
Fbs2=mMG/(5*10^11/sin@)
Fybs2=Fbs2*cos@
Fybs2=mMG*sin@*cos@/(5*10^11)
Fynet=(2*mMG/(5*10^11))*int(sin@cos@d@,0,pi/2)
Fynet=m*2.655*10^8=ma
a=2.655*10^8
But now what??
Am i doing things right?
Thank you very much!
nitro
The question says: A binary star system has two stars, each with the same mass as our sun, separated by 1x10^12m. A comet is very far away and essentially at rest. Slowly but surely, gravity pulls the comet toward the stars. Suppose the comet travels along a straight line that passes through the midpoint between the two stars. What is the comet's speed at the midpoint?
I set up the system like this:
Code:
c
/ | \
/ | \
/ | \
bs1---m---bs2
where c=comet
m = midpoint
bs1 and bs2 are the binary stars
We know Fxnet=0
And Fynet = 2*Fybs2
Fbs2=mMG/r^2
if we set up an angle @ between the commet and bs2 we can deduce that
sin@=5*10^11/r
so
r=5*10^11/sin@
Fbs2=mMG/(5*10^11/sin@)
Fybs2=Fbs2*cos@
Fybs2=mMG*sin@*cos@/(5*10^11)
Fynet=(2*mMG/(5*10^11))*int(sin@cos@d@,0,pi/2)
Fynet=m*2.655*10^8=ma
a=2.655*10^8
But now what??
Am i doing things right?
Thank you very much!
nitro