Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 4: Problem 51

Which planet would you expect to exhibit the greatest variation in apparent brightness as seen from Earth? Which planet would you expect to exhibit the greatest variation in angular diameter? Explain your answers.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Venus is the planet that would exhibit the greatest variation in apparent brightness and angular diameter as seen from Earth. This is due to Venus' elliptical orbit bringing it closer to and farther from Earth, causing significant variation in its apparent brightness and size.

Step by step solution

01

Identifying the Planet with Greatest Variation in Apparent Brightness

According to the inverse square law for brightness, the apparent brightness of an object decreases with the square of the distance. As a planet revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit, its distance from Earth changes. The most variation in apparent brightness is exhibited by the planet whose distance varies the most from Earth. This would be Venus, as it swings from being on the other side of the Sun and being almost between the Sun and Earth.
02

Identifying the Planet with Greatest Variation in Angular Diameter

Angular diameter is the apparent size of an object as seen from a particular point, here Earth. The apparent size changes as the distance of the planet from Earth changes. Similar to step 1, the planet that undergoes the maximum change in distance from Earth will exhibit the largest change in angular diameter. Again, Venus is the winner in this category for the same reasons.
03

Conclusion and Explanation

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that Venus has the highest variation in both apparent brightness and angular diameter. This is due to its elliptical orbit, which brings it significantly closer to Earth at certain times and then takes it to the other side of the Sun at others. As such, the apparent brightness and size of Venus change greatly as observed from Earth, which makes it have the highest variation in both these aspects.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

How did Copernicus determine that the orbits of Mercury and Venus must be smaller than the Earth's orbit? How did he determine that the orbits of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn must be larger than the Earth's orbit?

If Venus happens to be visible in the evening sky, observe the planet with a small telescope once a week for a month. On each night, make a drawing of the crescent that you see. From your drawings, can you determine if the planet is nearer or farther from the Earth than the Sun is? Do your drawings show any changes in the shape of the crescent from one week to the next? If so, can you deduce if Venus is coming toward us or moving away from us?

How much force do you have to exert on a \(3-\mathrm{kg}\) brick to give it an acceleration of \(2 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}^{2}\) ? If you double this force, what is the brick's acceleration? Explain.

The mass of Saturn is approximately 100 times that of Earth, and the semimajor axis of Saturn's orbit is approximately \(10 \mathrm{AU}\). To this approximation, how does the gravitational force that the Sun exerts on Saturn compare to the gravitational force that the Sun exerts on the Earth? How do the accelerations of Saturn and the Earth compare?

What is a tidal force? How do tidal forces produce tides in the Earth's oceans?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Medical Physics

Read Explanation

Geometrical and Physical Optics

Read Explanation

Quantum Physics

Read Explanation

Electric Charge Field and Potential

Read Explanation

Atoms and Radioactivity

Read Explanation

Electricity

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free