| Energy because
we move in orbit
Impressive! |
The speed of the earth in orbit
is 30,000 meters per second. A kilogram of matter moving at that
speed has a kinetic energy in joules equal to (1/2)*mass(kg)*(the square
of the speed(m/s)) = (1/2) (1) (30,000)(30,000) = 450 million joules.
A kilogram of gasoline has a heat
content of about 45 million joules. Therefore a kilogram of matter
moving at the speed of the earth has as much kinetic energy as is stored
in 10 kilograms of gasoline.
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