On April 13, 2029 (Friday the 13th!), the asteroid 99942 mi Apophis will pass within 18600 mi of the earth-about 1/13 the distance to the moon! It has a density of 2600 kg/m^3, can be modeled as a sphere 320 m in diameter, and will be traveling at 12.6 km/s.

1) If, due to a small disturbance in its orbit, the asteroid were to hit the earth, how much kinetic energy would it deliver?

2) The largest nuclear bomb ever tested by the United States was the "Castle/Bravo" bomb, having a yield of 15 megatons of TNT. (A megaton of TNT releases 4.184x10^15 J of energy.) How many Castle/Bravo bombs would be equivalent to the energy of Apophis?

Question

Physics

Finley Gibbs

30 March, 17:48

On April 13, 2029 (Friday the 13th!), the asteroid 99942 mi Apophis will pass within 18600 mi of the earth-about 1/13 the distance to the moon! It has a density of 2600 kg/m^3, can be modeled as a sphere 320 m in diameter, and will be traveling at 12.6 km/s.

1) If, due to a small disturbance in its orbit, the asteroid were to hit the earth, how much kinetic energy would it deliver?

2) The largest nuclear bomb ever tested by the United States was the "Castle/Bravo" bomb, having a yield of 15 megatons of TNT. (A megaton of TNT releases 4.184x10^15 J of energy.) How many Castle/Bravo bombs would be equivalent to the energy of Apophis?

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Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Paige Larson · Answer 1

Volume of asteroid = 4/3 x π x 160³

= 17.15 x 10⁶

mass = volume x density

= 17.15 x 10⁶ x 2600

= 445.9 x 10⁸ kg

kinetic energy

= 1/2 x 445.9 x 10⁸ x (12.6) ² x 10⁶

= 35.4 x 10¹⁷ J.

2)

energy of 15 megaton

= 4.184 x 10¹⁵ x 15 J

= 62.76 x 10¹⁵ J

No of bombs required

= 35.4 x 10¹⁷ / 62.76 x 10¹⁵

= 56.4 Bombs.