Earth had twice its present mass? Assume that all other properties of Earth and its orbit remain the same. What would be the acceleration of the more massive Earth due to the Sun compared to the present acceleration of Earth from the Sun? Hint: Try combining F = m1 and the force equation in An Astronomer’s Toolbox 2-3, where m1is the mass of Earth in both equations. Given that acceleration determines the period of the planet’s orbit, how would the year on the more massive Earth compare to a year today?
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