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A planet is moving at constant speed in a circular orbit around a star. In one complete orbit, what is the net amount of work done on the planet by the star’s gravitational force: positive, negative, or zero? What if the planet’s orbit is an ellipse, so that the speed is not constant? Explain your answers.



Answer :

Work done by star's gravitational force is zero moving at constant speed in a circular orbit around a star

We know that,

Gravitational force is conservative force hence, work done by the gravitational force does not depends on path.

hence,

[tex]W=\int \vec(F)*d \vec(r)[/tex]

For the given case,

Planet started from one point and coming back at same point (one complete circle around the star).

hence,

[tex]W=\int _c \vec(F)*d \vec(r)=0[/tex]

Work done by star's gravitational force is zero.

  • Any item with mass is attracted to one another by the gravitational pull.Every item attracts every other body with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their separation, according to Newton's equations of gravitation.

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