After the Sun exhausts its nuclear fuel, its ultimate fate will be to collapse t
ID: 1481338 • Letter: A
Question
After the Sun exhausts its nuclear fuel, its ultimate fate will be to collapse to a white dwarf state. In this state, it would have approximately the same mass as it has now, but its radius would be equal to the radius of the Earth.
JUST NEED HELP WITH C
(a) Calculate the average density of the white dwarf. Correct: Your answer is correct. kg/m3
(b) Calculate the surface free-fall acceleration. Correct: Your answer is correct. m/s2
(c) Calculate the gravitational potential energy associated with a 5.74-kg object at the surface of the white dwarf. ??????????????
Explanation / Answer
c) Msun = 1.99*10^30 kg
m = 5.74 kg
Rsun = Re = 6.37*10^6 m
potentail energy associated with a 5.74-kg object, U = -G*Ms*m/Rs
= -6.67*10^-11*1.99*10^30/(6.37*10^6)
= -2.084*10^13 J