In the movie for this pre-session, we go through a calculation in which the forc

Question

In the movie for this pre-session, we go through a calculation in which the force applied on a solar sail by radiation pressure from sunlight is 0.1 N, with the solar sail having a mass of 500 kg. There was a complication, however, that the sail also experienced a gravitational force, attracting it toward the Sun. Let's say you re-design the solar sail, giving it a larger sail area, so that the net force on the solar sail is 0.1 N, directed away from the Sun, and you manage to keep the mass at 500 kg. (a) What is the magnitude of the solar sail's acceleration? Let's assume that the solar sail starts from rest, and then has this same acceleration for the next 17 days. (b) What is the speed of the sail after 17 days? (c) How far has the sail traveled in the 17 days?

Explanation / Answer

Force F = 0.1 N mass m= 500 kg

a = F/m = 0.1/500 = 2x10^-4 m/s/s

speed v= at = (2x10^-4)*(17*24*3600) = 293.76 m/s

distance traveled = 0.5at2 =0.5*(2x10^-4)*(17*24*3600)2 = 146.88 km

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