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The table gives some information about the Earth and about Pluto - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2017 - Paper 1

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The table gives some information about the Earth and about Pluto. distance from the Sun measured in units of distance Earth 15.0 Pluto 591 (a) Calculate the short... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:The table gives some information about the Earth and about Pluto - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2017 - Paper 1

Step 1

Calculate the shortest distance between Earth and Pluto.

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Answer

To calculate the shortest distance between Earth and Pluto, we can use the formula:

distance = |591 - 15| = 576 \text{ units of distance}$$ Hence, the shortest distance is **576 units of distance**.

Step 2

Explain why the distance between Earth and Pluto is always changing.

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Answer

The distance between Earth and Pluto is always changing due to the following factors:

  1. Orbiting the Sun: Both Earth and Pluto are in orbit around the Sun, which leads to varying distances as they travel along their elliptical paths.

  2. Different orbital speeds: Earth and Pluto have different orbital speeds and radii, resulting in them being at varying distances from each other at different times.

  3. Positions relative to the Sun: Their relative positions with respect to the Sun change continually, further contributing to the changes in distance between the two planets.

A diagram could illustrate the varying positions of Earth and Pluto in their respective orbits.

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