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The Asteroid Belt is part of our Solar System - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 8
The Asteroid Belt is part of our Solar System. Vesta is an asteroid in the Asteroid Belt. (a) Vesta orbits the Sun between the orbits of A Venus and Earth B Eart... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The Asteroid Belt is part of our Solar System - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
Vesta has an orbital speed of 1.9 × 10⁶ m/s. Vesta travels a distance of 2.2 × 10⁹ m when it orbits the Sun once. Calculate the time taken for Vesta to orbit the Sun once.
Answer
To find the time taken for Vesta to orbit the Sun, we can use the formula for time:
ext{Time} = rac{ ext{Distance}}{ ext{Speed}}Here, the distance Vesta travels is m and the speed is m/s.
Substituting these values:
ext{Time} = rac{2.2 × 10^9 ext{ m}}{1.9 × 10^6 ext{ m/s}} \\ = 1156.84 ext{ s} \\ ≈ 1157 ext{ s}Thus, the time taken for Vesta to orbit the Sun once is approximately 1157 seconds.
Step 2
Explain why Vesta is accelerating even when it is travelling at a constant speed.
Answer
Vesta is accelerating because it is moving in a circular path around the Sun. In circular motion, even when the speed is constant, the direction of the velocity vector is continuously changing. This change in direction indicates that the object is experiencing centripetal acceleration, which is defined as acceleration that occurs toward the center of a circular path. Thus, while the speed may remain constant, the change in direction means Vesta is indeed accelerating.
Step 3
Explain why the temperature on Vesta does not continue to rise, even though it is absorbing energy from the Sun.
Answer
Vesta does not continue to rise in temperature because it radiates energy at the same rate that it absorbs it. When Vesta absorbs energy from the Sun, it also emits radiation back into space. At thermal equilibrium, the energy Vesta absorbs from the Sun equals the energy it radiates, resulting in a stable temperature. Therefore, even with constant absorption, the temperature remains consistent.
Step 4
Step 5
Calculate the intensity of the radiation from the Sun at Vesta.
Answer
To calculate the intensity of radiation at Vesta, we can use the formula:
ext{Intensity} = rac{K}{d^2}where . Since 1 AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun, we first need to evaluate K:
Assuming , we convert AU into meters:
Thus,
Now substituting our values:
ext{Intensity} = rac{2.0944 × 10^{14} ext{ W/m}^2}{(2.4)^2} \\ = rac{2.0944 × 10^{14}}{5.76} \\ ext{Intensity} ≈ 3.64 × 10^{13} ext{ W/m}^2.Therefore, the intensity of the radiation from the Sun at Vesta is approximately .