If you jump while standing on the ground moving at 30 km/s relative to the Sun, what will happen to your speed as you leave the ground?

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Enhance your knowledge for the ASU PHY101 Exam. Prepare with multiple choice questions, flashcards, and explanations. Get exam ready with ease!

When you jump while standing on the ground moving at 30 km/s relative to the Sun, you will maintain that same speed of 30 km/s as you leave the ground. This is because of the principle of inertia, which is a fundamental concept in physics described by Newton's first law of motion. When you are in motion, your body possesses a certain velocity, and it tends to remain in that state of motion unless acted upon by an external force.

When you jump, the force you exert does not change your velocity relative to the ground or the Sun; it merely acts in an upward direction. The horizontal component of your velocity—your motion relative to the Sun—remains unchanged at the instant of your jump. Therefore, as you leave the ground, you continue to move at the same horizontal speed of 30 km/s. This illustrates the independence of vertical and horizontal motion, a crucial concept in kinematics.

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