THEORETICAL PROBLEM No.

EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH-MOON SYSTEM

SOLUTIONS

1. Conservation of Angular Momentum

1a L1  I E E1  I M 1M 1 0.2

1b L2  I E 2  I M 2 2 0.2

1c I E E1  I M 1M 1  I M 2 2  L1 0.3

2. Final Separation and Angular Frequency of the Earth-Moon System.

2a 22 D23 G M E 0.2

2b L12 0.5
D2 
G M E M M2

2c G 2 M E2 M M3 0.5
2 
L13

2d The moment of inertia of the Earth will be the addition of the moment of 0.5
inertia of a sphere with radius ro and density  o and of a sphere with
radius ri and density i  o :
2 4 5
IE  [ro o  ri5 ( i  o )] .
5 3

2e 2 4 5 0.2
IE  [ro o  ri5 ( i  o )]  8.01037 kg m2
5 3

2f L1  I E E1  I M 1M 1  3.41034 kg m2 s-1 0.2

2g D2  5.4 108 m, that is D2 1.4 D1 0.3

2h 2 1.6106 s-1, that is, a period of 46 days. 0.3

2i Since I E 2 1.31032 kg m2 s-1 and I M 2 2  3.41034 kg m2 s-1 , the 0.2

approximation is justified since the final angular momentum of the Earth
is 1/260 of that of the Moon.

3. How much is the Moon receding per year?

3a Using the law of cosines, the magnitude of the force produced by the mass 0.4
m closest to the Moon will be:
G m MM
Fc  2
D1  ro  2 D1 ro cos( )
2

3b Using the law of cosines, the magnitude of the force produced by the mass 0.4
m farthest to the Moon will be:
G m MM
Ff  2
D1  ro  2 D1 ro cos( )
2

3c Using the law of sines, the torque will be 0.4

sin( ) r0 D1
 c  Fc 2
[ D1  ro  2 D1 ro cos( )]
2 1/ 2
G m M M sin( ) r0 D1
 2
[ D1  ro2  2 D1 ro cos( )]3 / 2

3d Using the law of sines, the torque will be 0.4

sin( ) r0 D1 G m M M sin( ) r0 D1
 f  Ff  2
[ D1  ro  2 D1 ro cos( )]
2 2 1/ 2
[ D1  ro2  2 D1 ro cos( )]3 / 2

3e 3 ro2 3 ro cos( ) 3ro2 3 ro cos( ) 1.0

 c   f  G m M M sin( ) r0 D12 (1   1   )
2 D12 D1 2 D12 D1
6 G m M M ro2 sin( ) cos( )

D13
3f 6 G m M M ro2 sin( ) cos( ) 0.5
 3
 4.1  1016 N m
D1

3g Since M2 1D13 G M E , we have that the angular momentum of the Moon is 1.0
1/ 2
G M E 
I M 1 M 1  M M D   M M D1 G M E 
2 1/ 2
1 3 
 D1 
The torque will be:
M G M E 1 / 2 ( D11 / 2 ) M M G M E   D1
1/ 2
 M 
t 2 D1   t
1/ 2

So, we have that

1/ 2
2   t  D1 
 D1 
M M  G M E 
That for t  3.1 107 s = 1 year, gives D1  0.034 m.
This is the yearly increase in the Earth-Moon distance.

3h We now use that 1.0

I   E1
  E
t
from where we get
 t
  E1  
IE
that for t  3.1 107 s = 1 year gives
 E1  1.6  1014 s-1.
If PE is the period of time considered, we have that:
PE 
  E1
PE E
since PE 1 day  8.64104 s, we get
PE 1.9105 s.
This is the amount of time that the day lengthens in a year.

4. Where is the energy going?

4a The present total (rotational plus gravitational) energy of the system is: 0.4
1 1 GM E M M
E  I E E21  I M M2 1  .
2 2 D1
Using that
M2 1 D13  G M E , we get
 1 1 GM E M M
E  I E E21 
2 2 D1

4b 1 GM E M M 0.4
E  I E E1 E1  D1 , that gives
2 D12
E   9.0 1019 J

4c M water  4 ro2  h  water kg = 2.6  1017 kg. 0.2

4d Ewater   g M water  0.5 m 2 day 1  365 days  0.1  9.31019 J. Then, the 0.3
two energy estimates are comparable.