How does the diameter of Polaris compare to the diameter of the sun?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the problem of comparing the diameter of Polaris with the diameter of the sun using the equation D= (K)(sqrt of L ) / (T)^2. The conversation mentions that the luminosity of Polaris is 10,000 times that of the sun and its surface temperature is 5800 kelvins. The conversation then goes on to calculate the ratio of the diameters using the given equation and the value of k. The final answer obtained is 100, indicating that the diameter of Polaris is 100 times that of the sun.
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jai6638
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Hey.. need some help in solving this problem:


Q) The luminosity of Polaris is 10,000 times the luminosity of the sun. The surface temperature of Polaris is about 5800 kelvins. Using k=33,640,000 find how the diameter of polaris compares with the diameter of the sun. ( Equation: D= (K)(sqrt of L ) / (T)^2

Dp/Ds = ( k(sqrt of Lp ) / (Tp)^2 ) / ( k(sqrt of Ls) / (Ts)^2 )
= ( sqrt of 10,000Ls ) / (5800)^2 / ( sqrt of Ls ) / (Ts)^2)

Now I'm stuck.. Not sure what this problem is leading to.. i don't know the value of Ts and hence am not going to get an answer.. Any help is much appreciated..
 
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  • #2
anyone...?
 
  • #3
[tex]d_{polaris}=\frac{k\sqrt{L}}{T^2}=\frac{33,640,000 \sqrt{10,000}}{5800 ^2}[/tex]
[tex]d_{sun}=\frac{k\sqrt{L}}{T^2}=\frac{33,640,000 \sqrt{1}}{T^2}[/tex]

[tex]ratio=\frac{d_{polaris}}{d_{sun}}[/tex]
 
  • #4
The answer I'm getting is 100 ( i.e. the diameter of POlaris is 100 times that of the sun ) . Is that the correct answer?

thanks
 
Last edited:

Related to How does the diameter of Polaris compare to the diameter of the sun?

1. What is the luminosity of Polaris?

The luminosity of Polaris is approximately 4,000 times that of our Sun.

2. How is the luminosity of Polaris measured?

The luminosity of Polaris is measured using the apparent magnitude scale, which compares the brightness of stars as seen from Earth.

3. Has the luminosity of Polaris changed over time?

Studies suggest that the luminosity of Polaris has remained relatively constant over the past few thousand years.

4. What is the impact of the luminosity of Polaris on its surroundings?

The high luminosity of Polaris affects the temperature and chemical composition of the surrounding interstellar medium, as well as the movements of nearby stars.

5. How does the luminosity of Polaris compare to other stars?

Polaris is considered a moderately luminous star, with many other stars in the galaxy having much higher luminosities. However, Polaris appears brighter to us due to its relatively close proximity to Earth.

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