Question

Okay...um, I'm a little confused on how to approach this. So, the region of the solar system between Mars and Jupiter contains many asteroids that orbit the Sun. Consider an asteroid in a circular orbit of radius 4.2 10^11 m. Find the period of the orbit.

Okay, I know I am supposed to use the equation: T^2=(4pi^2/GM)*r^3, but what exactly do I use for the M?

Answer 1

Oh oops, that should be 4.2*10^11 meters.

Answer 2

Use the mass being orbited. In this case the sun is at the center.

Answer 3

Oh! I'll try that, thank you.

Answer 4

okay, that did not turn out correct...but let me re-do the calculations. I may have done something wrong.

Answer 5

make sure ur units are all consistent (that they cancel out)

Answer 6

Gotcha. Ugh...I just hate really big numbers...

Answer 7

are you actually writing out the numbers? use scientific notation

Answer 8

I try doing both just to make sure it's as accurate as i can make it.

Answer 9

Yeah ok, i'm still not getting it right

Answer 10

mass of sun: 1.989 X10^30 kg
G: 6.67 X10^ -11
radius of orbit: 4.2 X10^11 m

Answer 11

Yep. i got all those values. I plugged them in and still i didn't get the correct answer for some reason....

Answer 12

1.495 X 10^8

Answer 13

ok i'm going to try this again...

Answer 14

thank you for that. i just want to make sure i know how to get it.

Answer 15

so was the answer i got correct?

Answer 16

yes it was! thank you. i'm still stunned, how or what am i doing wrong?

Answer 17

omg...i'm such a failure in life...i forgot to square root the freaking number...I apologize for being so bad in my algebra...

Answer 18

\[\huge \sqrt{ \frac {4\pi^2{(4.22 X10^{11})^3}} {(6.67 X10^{-11})(1.989 X10^{30})} }\]

Answer 19

.............

Answer 20

Thank you. I'm really sorry for that! i didn't mean to waste your time