A shooting star is actually the track of a meteor, typically a small chunk of debris from a comet that has entered the earth’s atmosphere. As the drag force slows the meteor down, its kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy, leaving a glowing trail across the sky. A typical meteor has a surprisingly small mass, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in speed. Assume that a meteor has a mass of 1.5 g and is moving at an impressive 50 km/s, both typical values. What power is generated if the meteor slows down over a typical 2.1 s? Can you see how this tiny object can make a glowing trail that can be seen hundreds of kilometers away?
A shooting star is actually the track of a meteor, typically a small chunk of debris from a comet that has entered the earth’s atmosphere. As the drag force slows the meteor down, its kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy, leaving a glowing trail across the sky. A typical meteor has a surprisingly small mass, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in speed. Assume that a meteor has a mass of 1.5 g and is moving at an impressive 50 km/s, both typical values. What power is generated if the meteor slows down over a typical 2.1 s? Can you see how this tiny object can make a glowing trail that can be seen hundreds of kilometers away?
College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...
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A shooting star is actually the track of a meteor, typically a small chunk of debris from a comet that has entered the earth’s atmosphere. As the drag force slows the meteor down, its kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy, leaving a glowing trail across the sky. A typical meteor has a surprisingly small mass, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in speed. Assume that a meteor has a mass of 1.5 g and is moving at an impressive 50 km/s, both typical values. What power is generated if the meteor slows down over a typical 2.1 s? Can you see how this tiny object can make a glowing trail that can be seen hundreds of kilometers away?
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