Suppose that a comet with a mass of 10^9 kg strikes the Earth at a velocity of 40 km / sec . How

Name: Problem 4, Chapter 20: Pathways to Astronomy
Uploaded: 2020-05-24T19:12:19-08:00
Duration: 2 min 32 s
Channel: Kevin Shryock
Description: Suppose that a comet with a mass of 10^9 kg strikes the Earth at a velocity of 40 km / sec . How much energy would be released by the impact? Convert this energy into the equivalent of "kilotons of TNT" (kt), where 1 kt =4.2 ×10^12 joules.

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Question

Suppose that a comet with a mass of $10^{9} \mathrm{kg}$ strikes the Earth at a velocity of $40 \mathrm{km} / \mathrm{sec} .$ How much energy would be released by the impact? Convert this energy into the equivalent of "kilotons of TNT" (kt), where 1 kt $=4.2 \times 10^{12}$ joules.

   Suppose that a comet with a mass of $10^{9} \mathrm{kg}$ strikes the Earth at a velocity of $40 \mathrm{km} / \mathrm{sec} .$ How much energy would be released by the impact? Convert this energy into the equivalent of "kilotons of TNT" (kt), where 1 kt $=4.2 \times 10^{12}$ joules.

Pathways to Astronomy

Stephen E. Schneider 2nd Edition

Chapter 20, Problem 4

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Kevin Shryock

05/24/2020

Step 1

The kinetic energy (KE) of an object can be calculated using the formula KE = (1/2)mv^2, where m is the mass and v is the velocity of the object. In this case, the mass (m) of the comet is 10^9 kg and the velocity (v) is 40 km/sec, which is equal to 40,000 m/sec. Show more…

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Suppose that a comet with a mass of $10^{9} \mathrm{kg}$ strikes the Earth at a velocity of $40 \mathrm{km} / \mathrm{sec} .$ How much energy would be released by the impact? Convert this energy into the equivalent of "kilotons of TNT" (kt), where 1 kt $=4.2 \times 10^{12}$ joules.

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Key Concepts

Kinetic Energy Calculation

Kinetic energy quantifies the energy a moving object possesses due to its motion. It is calculated using the formula KE = 1/2 m v^2, where m represents the mass and v the velocity of the object. This concept is central to understanding the energy delivered during high-velocity impacts, such as that of a comet striking a body like the Earth.

Energy Unit Conversion

Energy unit conversion is the process of translating energy values from one unit system to another to facilitate comprehension or comparison. In the context of impact events, converting energy from joules to kilotons of TNT—where 1 kt is defined as 4.2 × 10^12 joules—helps in relating the magnitude of the energy release to a more familiar scale, such as the explosive yield of conventional explosives.

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