Question

Calculate the average force with which the Sun pulls the Earth. It will help to know

Answer 1

Answer:

7.9 x 10^21 pound-force

Explanation:

The average distance between the Earth and sun is 150 trillion meters, or 1.5 x 10^11 meters. The mass of the sun is 1.99 x 10^30 kilograms, while the Earth weighs in at 6.0 x 10^24 kilograms. The gravitational constant is 6.67 x 10^-11 meter^3 / (kilogram - second^2). So the Earth and sun pull on each other with a force equal to 3.52 x 10^22 newtons. The newton is a unit of force equal to a kilogram-meter/second^2. One newton is equal to 0.22 of the rarely used English unit called pound-force, so 3.52 x 10^22 newtons is 7.9 x 10^21 pound-force.