Understanding Our Universe
3rd Edition
ISBN: 9780393614428
Author: PALEN, Stacy, Kay, Laura, Blumenthal, George (george Ray)
Publisher: W.w. Norton & Company,
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Chapter 5, Problem 38QAP
(a)
To determine
The density of the asteroid Vesta considering it to be spherical in shape.
(b)
To determine
The difference in the composition of the rock of the asteroid Vesta as compared to the water and primitive rocks.
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A 0.872 km diameter asteroid will make a crater about 10 km in diameter. Let the asteroid have a density of 3000 kg/m3 and impact the surface at 22 km/sec. Assuming a spherical asteroid, what is the kinetic energy (in joule) of the asteroid? Convert the answer to megatons of TNT, where 1 megaton is about 4 × 1015 joule. For comparison, the most energetic weapon in the human arsenal is about 100 megatons.
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Chapter 5 Solutions
Understanding Our Universe
Ch. 5.1 - Prob. 5.1CYUCh. 5.2 - Prob. 5.2CYUCh. 5.3 - Prob. 5.3CYUCh. 5.4 - Prob. 5.4CYUCh. 5.5 - Prob. 5.5CYUCh. 5.6 - Prob. 5.6CYUCh. 5 - Prob. 1QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 2QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 3QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 4QAP
Ch. 5 - Prob. 5QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 6QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 7QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 8QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 9QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 10QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 11QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 12QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 13QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 14QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 15QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 16QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 17QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 18QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 19QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 20QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 21QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 22QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 23QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 24QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 25QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 27QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 28QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 29QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 30QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 31QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 32QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 34QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 35QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 36QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 37QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 38QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 39QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 40QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 41QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 42QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 43QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 44QAPCh. 5 - Prob. 45QAP
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- What is the period of revolution about the Sun for an asteroid with a semi-major axis of 3 AU in the middle of the asteroid belt?arrow_forwardWhich meteorites are the most useful for defining the age of the solar system? Why?arrow_forwardThe mass of the asteroids is found mostly in the larger asteroids, so to estimate the total mass we need to consider only the larger objects. Suppose the three largest asteroids-Ceres (1000 km in diameter), Pallas (500 km in diameter), and Vesta (500 km in diameter)-account for half the total mass. Assume that each of these three asteroids has a density of 3 g/cm3 and calculate their total mass. Multiply your result by 2 to obtain an estimate for the mass of the total asteroid belt. How does this compare with the mass of the Oort cloud?arrow_forward
- How would studying the chemical composition of only the largest, brightest, and most easily observed asteroids yield potentially misleading information about asteroids in general? Why is this called a selection effect?arrow_forwardSaturn is about 60,000 km in radius, and its rings are only about 0.01 km thick with ripples 100 m high. Design a really big model with Saturn 60 inches in radius (10 ft in diameter). How thick must the rings be in your model and how high can the ripples be? A sheet of paper is about 0.004 inches thick.arrow_forwardIf asteroid Toutatis were to pass somewhere within 24 x105 km of planet Syrene, what is the probability that it would strike the Syrene? Calculate the probability by considering an imanginary dartboard of radius 24 x105 km in which the bulls-eye has Syrene's radius, 6500.0 km. Assume the radius of Toutatis is much smaller than the radius of Syrene.arrow_forward
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