Mercury, Venus, and Earth are the three planets closest to the sun. Would their combined
distance from the sun be greater or less than the distance from the sun to Neptune? Show
your work and justify your answer.
To determine whether the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun is greater or less than the distance from the sun to Neptune, we need to calculate the distances for each scenario.
The average distance from the sun to Mercury is approximately 57.9 million kilometers (35.98 million miles).
The average distance from the sun to Venus is approximately 108.2 million kilometers (67.24 million miles).
The average distance from the sun to Earth is approximately 149.6 million kilometers (92.96 million miles).
To calculate the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun:
57.9 million km + 108.2 million km + 149.6 million km = 315.7 million kilometers (196.17 million miles)
The average distance from the sun to Neptune is approximately 4.5 billion kilometers (2.8 billion miles).
Comparing the two distances:
315.7 million km < 4.5 billion km
Therefore, the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun is significantly less than the distance from the sun to Neptune.
To determine whether the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun is greater or less than the distance from the sun to Neptune, we need to calculate the distances.
The average distance from the sun to Mercury is approximately 57.9 million kilometers (35.98 million miles).
The average distance from the sun to Venus is approximately 108.2 million kilometers (67.24 million miles).
The average distance from the sun to Earth is approximately 149.6 million kilometers (92.96 million miles).
Now, let's add up the distances of the three planets from the sun:
57.9 million kilometers + 108.2 million kilometers + 149.6 million kilometers = 315.7 million kilometers
The average distance from the sun to Neptune is approximately 4.5 billion kilometers (2.8 billion miles).
Comparing the two distances:
The combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun: 315.7 million kilometers
The distance from the sun to Neptune: 4.5 billion kilometers
Clearly, the distance from the sun to Neptune is greater than the combined distance of the three inner planets.
Therefore, the distance from the sun to Neptune is greater than the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth.
To determine whether the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun is greater or less than the distance from the sun to Neptune, we need to consider the actual distances of each planet from the sun.
Let's start by finding the average distance of each planet from the sun. The average distance for Mercury is about 57.91 million kilometers (km), for Venus is about 108.21 million km, and for Earth is about 149.6 million km.
To find the combined distance of these three planets from the sun, we simply add their average distances together:
57.91 million km + 108.21 million km + 149.6 million km = 315.72 million km
So, the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun is approximately 315.72 million km.
Now, let's find the distance from the sun to Neptune. The average distance from the sun to Neptune is about 4.5 billion km.
Now that we have both values, we can compare them:
315.72 million km < 4.5 billion km
To simplify the comparison, we convert both distances to the same unit, so let's convert 4.5 billion kilometers to million kilometers:
4.5 billion km = 4,500 million km
Now, we can compare the values directly:
315.72 million km < 4,500 million km
Therefore, the combined distance of Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the sun is less than the distance from the sun to Neptune.