THEORETICAL PROBLEM No.

1
EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH-MOON SYSTEM
SOLUTIONS
1. Conservation of Angular Momentum
1a

L1 I E E1 I M 1M 1

0.2

1b

L2 I E 2 I M 2 2

0.2

1c

I E E1 I M 1M 1 I M 2 2 L1

0.3

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

2a

2b

2c

22 D23 G M E

0.2

D2

L12
G M E M M2

0.5

G 2 M E2 M M3
L13

0.5

2d The moment of inertia of the Earth will be the addition of the moment of
inertia of a sphere with radius ro and density o and of a sphere with
radius ri and density i o :
IE

2 4 5
[ro o ri5 ( i o )] .
5 3

2e

IE

2 4 5
[ro o ri5 ( i o )] 8.01037 kg m2
5 3

2f

L1 I E E1 I M 1M 1 3.41034 kg m2 s-1

0.5

0.2

0.2

2g

D2 5.4 108 m, that is D2 1.4 D1

0.3

2h

2 1.6106 s-1, that is, a period of 46 days.

0.3

2i

Since I E 2 1.31032 kg m2 s-1 and I M 2 2 3.41034 kg m2 s-1 , the

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

0.2

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
2
D1 ro 2 D1 ro cos( )

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
2
D1 ro 2 D1 ro cos( )

3c

Using the law of sines, the torque will be

sin( ) r0 D1
G m M M sin( ) r0 D1
c Fc 2
2
2
1/ 2
[ D1 ro 2 D1 ro cos( )]
[ D1 ro2 2 D1 ro cos( )]3 / 2

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

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

3e

c f G m M M sin( ) r0 D12 (1

6 G m M M ro2 sin( ) cos( )

D13

3 ro2 3 ro cos( )
3ro2 3 ro cos( )

)
2 D12
D1
2 D12
D1

0.4

0.4

1.0

3f

6 G m M M ro2 sin( ) cos( )

4.1 1016 N m
3
D1

3g Since M2 1D13 G M E , we have that the angular momentum of the Moon is

0.5

1.0

1/ 2

G M E
1/ 2
I M 1 M 1 M M D
M M D1 G M E
3
D1
The torque will be:
1/ 2
M G M E 1 / 2 ( D11 / 2 ) M M G M E D1
M

1/ 2
t
2 D1 t
So, we have that
2
1

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

I E1
E
t
from where we get
t
E1
IE

1.0

that for t 3.1 107 s = 1 year gives

E1 1.6 1014 s-1.
If PE is the period of time considered, we have that:
PE

E1
PE
E
since PE 1 day 8.64104 s, we get
PE 1.9105 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:
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

0.4

1
1 GM E M M
E I E E21
2
2
D1

4b

E I E E1 E1

1 GM E M M
D1 , that gives
2
D12

0.4

E 9.0 1019 J

4c

M water 4 ro2 h water kg = 2.6 1017 kg.

4d

Ewater g M water 0.5 m 2 day 1 365 days 0.1 9.31019 J. Then, the 0.3
two energy estimates are comparable.

0.2