Homework # 6a:  Sun-Earth

Below are some exercises that will help you to deepen your understanding of Module 6a.

Please format your solutions appropriately.  Use text format, not input format, when you are typing text.  Write coherent sentences and paragraphs;  part of your grade will depend on how clearly you present your ideas.

You must work on these exercises by yourself, not in pairs;  if you get stuck and cannot work out the solution, you may consult the labbie or the instructor during their office hours.

Constants

Below are the values in our universe for the gravitational constant, the mass of the Sun, and the mass of the Earth.  You may need to use these values in the problems below.

G= 4.981×(10^(-10));
ms=1.989×(10^30);
me=5.977×(10^24);

Orbital motion under an r law

In this problem you will study the motion of the Earth for a law of gravity where the force is proportional to the distance r between the Earth and the Sun.

Your Own Law of Gravity

Recall that by Newton's Law, the gravitational force of a body of mass ms acting on another body with mass me is attractive and is proportional to the product of the masses times the inverse square of the distance between the bodies.  Thus, in vector notation, the force on the body with mass me is

fe[t]==((G ms me (ps[t]-pe[t]))/((leng[ps[t]-pe[t]])^3))