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ustudent
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Let's say I wanted to calculate the distance between the Earth and the Moon (assuming that the system in question only includes the Earth and Moon, the Earth remains stationary**, and the Moon undergoes a circular orbit around the Earth and thus acts as a satellite). The relevant equation is:
r = ((G(Me)/(4*pi*pi))*(T^2)) ^ (1/3)
where G is the universal gravitation constant, Me is the mass of the Earth (the moon is a satellite and thus its mass doesn't matter in the equation), T is the moon's period about the Earth (27.3 days).
Does that value 'r' take into account the moon's radius? In other words, if I were asked, "What is the distance between the Earth and the Moon?', would my answer be 'r' or 'r + Re' where Re is the radius of the moon? My book doesn't clarify on this, and I want to make sure I understand the equation.
**The reason why I say the Earth remains stationary is that I had a homework problem (which I have already solved) that said that an asteroid heading toward the Earth had a given speed when it crossed the moon's orbit, and so for my energy conservation equations I needed the distance between the moon and the Earth (again, assuming circular orbits and that the Earth remains stationary).
Thanks.
r = ((G(Me)/(4*pi*pi))*(T^2)) ^ (1/3)
where G is the universal gravitation constant, Me is the mass of the Earth (the moon is a satellite and thus its mass doesn't matter in the equation), T is the moon's period about the Earth (27.3 days).
Does that value 'r' take into account the moon's radius? In other words, if I were asked, "What is the distance between the Earth and the Moon?', would my answer be 'r' or 'r + Re' where Re is the radius of the moon? My book doesn't clarify on this, and I want to make sure I understand the equation.
**The reason why I say the Earth remains stationary is that I had a homework problem (which I have already solved) that said that an asteroid heading toward the Earth had a given speed when it crossed the moon's orbit, and so for my energy conservation equations I needed the distance between the moon and the Earth (again, assuming circular orbits and that the Earth remains stationary).
Thanks.
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