Question

g Astronomers estimate that a 2.0-km-wide asteroid collides with the Earth once every million years. The collision could pose a threat to life on Earth. Part A Assume a spherical asteroid has a mass of 3400 kg for each cubic meter of volume and moves toward the Earth at 15 km/s . How much destructive energy could be released when it embeds itself in the Earth

Answer 1

Answer:

$1.60221\times 10^{21}\ \text{J}$

Explanation:

$\rho$ = Density of sattelite = $3400\ \text{kg/m}^3$

$v$ = Velocity of asteroid = $15\ \text{km/s}$

Radius of the asteroid = $\dfrac{2}{2}=1\ \text{km}$

Mass of asteroid

$m=\rho V\\\Rightarrow m=3400\times \dfrac{4}{3}\pi 1000^3$

Energy of the asteroid would be

$E=\dfrac{1}{2}mv^2\\\Rightarrow E=\dfrac{1}{2}\times 3400\times \dfrac{4}{3}\pi 1000^3\times (15\times10^3)^2\\\Rightarrow E=1.60221\times 10^{21}\ \text{J}$

The destructive energy that could be released when the asteroid embeds itself in the Earth is $1.60221\times 10^{21}\ \text{J}$