ASTRON 1F03 Study Guide - Final Guide: Tidal Acceleration, Impact Crater, Gravitational Constant
16 Dec 2018
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Please write your answers on a separate sheet and show your working: a) estimate the kinetic energy of a comet striking the surface of the earth. Assume the comet is roughly spherical with a diameter of 10 km, a density of 1000 kg m 3 and strikes with a speed of 30 km s 1. On impact all the kinetic energy goes into an explosion that forms the impact crater and throws material into the upper atmosphere to block out sunlight. This is similar to the event that ended the reign of the dinosaurs: 1 megaton of tnt has an explosive yield of 4 1015 joules. The entire nuclear arsenal of the world has been estimated at 6,000 megatons. Estimate the diameter of a comet with the equivalent destructive power of.
