Question 12
Work on your own.
A spacecraft is on a mission to Mars from Earth (Figure 8.8). It travels the first half of the distance at an average speed of 20 000 km/h. After a gravitational boost, it travels the second half at an average speed of 30 000 km/h. The total distance from Earth to Mars at the closest approach is approximately 54.6 million km.
How much faster does the spacecraft travel during the second half of the journey than in the first half?
Share your answers with the class.
[Response format: give the numerical value in km/h.]
A spacecraft is on a mission to Mars from Earth (Figure 8.8). It travels the first half of the distance at an average speed of 20 000 km/h. After a gravitational boost, it travels the second half at an average speed of 30 000 km/h. The total distance from Earth to Mars at the closest approach is approximately 54.6 million km.
How much faster does the spacecraft travel during the second half of the journey than in the first half?
Share your answers with the class.
[Response format: give the numerical value in km/h.]
