If Earth was 10 times farther away from the sun than it is now, which planet would it be closest to? (Assume all the planets are aligned with the sun and are on the same side of the sun.) Compare Earth's new distance to that planet. How far apart would they be in standard notation? How far apart in scientific notation and in km? Show your work.
If Earth was 10 times farther away from the sun, it would be closest to Mars.
Currently, the average distance between Earth and the sun is approximately 149.6 million kilometers. If Earth was 10 times farther away, the new distance would be 10 * 149.6 million km = 1.496 billion kilometers.
The average distance between Mars and the sun is around 227.9 million kilometers. Therefore, the distance between Earth and Mars would be 1.496 billion km - 227.9 million km = 1.2681 billion kilometers.
In standard notation, the distance between Earth and Mars would be 1,268,100,000 kilometers.
In scientific notation, the distance between Earth and Mars would be 1.2681 x 10^9 kilometers.
Therefore, Earth and Mars would be approximately 1.2681 billion kilometers apart.
If Earth was 10 times farther away from the sun than it is now, it would be closest to the planet Neptune.
Currently, the average distance from Earth to the Sun is about 149.6 million kilometers (km). If we multiply this distance by 10, Earth's new distance from the Sun would be about 1.496 billion km. Since Neptune is the planet farthest from the Sun in our solar system, its average distance from the Sun is about 4.5 billion km.
To calculate the distance between Earth and Neptune in standard notation, we subtract Earth's new distance from the Sun from Neptune's average distance from the Sun:
4.5 billion km - 1.496 billion km = 2.004 billion km
Therefore, the distance between Earth and Neptune would be 2.004 billion kilometers in standard notation.
In scientific notation, we express these distances using powers of 10. Earth's new distance from the Sun would be 1.496 x 10^9 km, and Neptune's average distance from the Sun is 4.5 x 10^9 km.
To find the distance between Earth and Neptune in scientific notation, we subtract Earth's new distance from the Sun from Neptune's average distance from the Sun:
4.5 x 10^9 km - 1.496 x 10^9 km = 3.004 x 10^9 km
Therefore, the distance between Earth and Neptune would be 3.004 x 10^9 kilometers in scientific notation.
To determine which planet Earth would be closest to if it were 10 times farther away from the sun, we need to compare the new distance of Earth to the orbital distance of each planet from the sun.
Currently, Earth's average distance from the sun is about 150 million kilometers (150,000,000 km). If Earth were 10 times farther away from the sun, the new distance would be 10 times the current distance, so it would be 150 million km * 10 = 1.5 billion kilometers (1,500,000,000 km).
Let's compare Earth's new distance to the orbital distances of the other planets from the sun:
- Mercury's average distance from the sun is about 58 million kilometers (58,000,000 km).
- Venus's average distance is around 108 million kilometers (108,000,000 km).
- Mars's average distance is about 228 million kilometers (228,000,000 km).
- Jupiter's average distance is around 778 million kilometers (778,000,000 km).
- Saturn's average distance is about 1.4 billion kilometers (1,400,000,000 km).
- Uranus's average distance is around 2.9 billion kilometers (2,900,000,000 km).
- Neptune's average distance is about 4.5 billion kilometers (4,500,000,000 km).
Comparing Earth's new distance of 1.5 billion kilometers, we can see that Earth would be closest to Saturn. The distance between Earth and Saturn would be the difference between Saturn's distance from the sun and Earth's new distance.
- In standard notation, the distance between Earth and Saturn would be 1.4 billion kilometers - 1.5 billion kilometers = -100 million kilometers (-100,000,000 km). Note that the negative sign indicates that Earth would be closer to Saturn than its new distance.
- In scientific notation, the distance would be -1 x 10^8 km.
- In km, the distance would be -100,000,000 km.
Therefore, if Earth were 10 times farther away from the sun, it would be closest to Saturn, and the distance between them would be -100 million kilometers (-1 x 10^8 km or -100,000,000 km).