Question

As Mercury revolves around the sun, it travels at a rate of approximately miles per second. Convert this rate to kilometers per second. At this rate, how many kilometers will Mercury travel in seconds? In your computations, assume that mile is equal to kilometers. Do not round your answers.

Answer 1

Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

There are a lot of conversion factors involved in this question.

First of all the radius of Mercury's orbit is 0.4 times that of the earth. The earth's distance from the sun is about 93 million miles. So Mercury's distance or radius is 93 * 0.4 = 37.2 million miles.

The circumference = 2 * pi * r

The circumference = 6.28 * 37200000 = 233616000  miles

This is accomplished in 88 days.

88 days [24 hours/day] * [3600 sec / hour] = 7603200 seconds

88 days = 7603200 second

Rate of travel = miles / second

Rate of travel = 233616000 / 7603200

Rate of travel = 30.726 miles / second

This number was not given so I had to derive it. The official number does not disagree a great deal from this number. It just depends on what constants you use.

1 mile = 1.6 km

30.725 miles = x           Cross multiply

x = 1.6 * 30.725

x = 49.16 km/ second

I cannot go any further because you have not provided any givens. The answers do vary quite a bit because I have assumed that Mercury's orbit is a circle. It really is not. It is more like an ellipse.  

The official speed in km/sec = 47 which means the answer I have given is very close. A more accurate answer would require that you put the numbers in the blanks that you were given.