For any object orbiting the Sun, Kepler's Law may be written T² = kr³. If T is measured in years and r in units of the Earth's distance from the Sun, then k = 1. What, therefore, is the time (in years) for Jupiter to orbit the Sun if its mean radius from the Sun is 5.2 times the Earth's distance from the Sun? A) 5.2 years B) 6.0 years C) 12 years D) 16 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Kepler's Third Law, T² = r³ when k = 1. For Jupiter, r = 5.2, so T² = 5.2³ = 140.608. Solving for T gives T ≈ √140.608 ≈ 11.85, which rounds to 12 years.

For Any Object Orbiting the Sun, Kepler's Law May Be