In: Physics
Three identical stars of mass M form an equilateral triangle that rotates around the triangle’s center as the stars move in a common circle about that center. The triangle has edge length L. What is the speed of the stars? b.) What is the period of revolution? c.) What is the total potential energy of the 3 star system? Express your answers in terms of the star mass M and triangle edge length L. Hint: Draw a diagram showing the gravitational forces on each star. d.) Find the gravitational force on a single star due to the gravitational attraction of the other two stars, (magnitude and direction). Hints: the 2nd law for a single particle orbiting a planet i.e. Fg = M v 2 /R. You will need to express R in terms of the triangle edge length L. Use v T = 2πR to find the period. it is a symbols-only problem. All work must be done in symbols. There are no numbers.