Angular momentum of a planet of mass m orbiting around sun is J, areal velocity of its radius vector will be
Correct Answer :
J/2m
Solution :
The correct option is J/2m.
Here is the detailed step-by-step derivation to find the areal velocity of the planet:
1. Understanding Areal Velocity
Areal velocity is the rate at which area is swept out by the radius vector of a planet orbiting the sun. Let the planet of mass be at a position vector relative to the sun. In an infinitesimally small time interval , the planet moves by a small displacement vector .
The area of the triangular region swept out by the radius vector during this time interval is given by the cross product of the vectors:
To find the rate of area swept per unit time (areal velocity), we divide both sides by :
Since the rate of change of displacement is velocity (), we get:
2. Expressing in Terms of Angular Momentum
The angular momentum of the planet orbiting the sun is defined as:
where is the linear momentum of the planet. Substituting this in, we obtain:
Taking the magnitude on both sides gives:
Rearranging the equation to solve for the magnitude of the cross product:
3. Final Substitution
Now, substitute this relation back into our expression for areal velocity:
Thus, the areal velocity of the planet's radius vector is .
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