IBDP Physics- D.1 Gravitational fields- IB Style Questions For SL Paper 2 -FA 2025
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Detailed solution
(a)
Using Kepler’s Third Law (\(r^{3} \propto T^{2}\)):
\(\frac{r_{V}}{r_{E}} = \left( \frac{T_{V}}{T_{E}} \right)^{\frac{2}{3}} = \left( \frac{225}{365} \right)^{\frac{2}{3}} \approx 0.724\).
(b)
Gravitational force provides the centripetal force for orbital motion (\(F_{g} = F_{c}\)). By observing the orbital period \(T\) and radius \(r\), the mass of the Sun \(M\) is constant in the relation \(\frac{r^{3}}{T^{2}} = \frac{GM}{4\pi^{2}}\).