Law of universal gravitation (am I doing it wrong)

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the gravitational force between Earth and the Sun using the law of universal gravitation. The original poster provides specific values for the masses of Earth and the Sun, as well as the distance between them, and attempts to apply the gravitational force formula.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to calculate the gravitational force by substituting values into the formula. Some participants question the accuracy of the distance value used in the calculation, while others inquire about the handling of the exponent during the calculation process.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing feedback on the original poster's calculations and prompting a reevaluation of specific numerical values. There is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the original poster's approach, but guidance is being offered regarding potential errors.

Contextual Notes

Participants note discrepancies in the exponent handling and the value of the distance, which may affect the final result. The original poster references an answer key that differs from their calculation, raising questions about possible typos or misunderstandings.

Thegiver431
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Homework Statement


What is the gravitational force between Earth and the sun if the Earth has a mass of 5.98 x 10^24 and the sun has a mass of 1.99 x 10^30. The r is (1.5 x 10^11)^2[/B]

Homework Equations


F=(Gm1m2)/r^2

G= 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2 /kg^2 ( note that this is a constant)[/B]

The Attempt at a Solution


I simply plugged in, and gathered the like terms and put them together accordingly so i got [( 6.67)(5.98)(1.99)]/(1.5)^2=35.277 ... Then you would move the decimal to get 3.52[/B]

Next i got all the exponent so( i canceled out the ten) -11+30+24-22= 21

so I got 3.52 x 10^21 N but the answer key said it is 3.52 x 10^22 N

What did I miss or is it a typo?
 
Last edited:
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Thegiver431 said:
r is (1.5 x 10)^2
You really want to take another look at this number.
 
Bystander said:
You really want to take another look at this number.
I meant 1.5 x 10 ^11 (sorry)
 
Thegiver431 said:
Then you would move the decimal to get 3.52
And what did you do with the factor of 10 you removed in the process?
 

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