The period of Jupiter s orbit around the sun is approximately 12 years. What is the approximate distance from the sun to Jupiter?
A) 144 AU
B) 1728 AU
C) 42 AU
D) 5.2 AU
E) 2.3

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kepler's third law states that the square of the period of an orbit is proportional to the cube of the average distance of the planet from the sun. Using this law, we can calculate the distance from the sun to Jupiter: (12 years)^2 = (5.2 AU)^3. Therefore, the approximate distance from the sun to Jupiter is 5.2 AU. Using Kepler's third law, we can calculate the distance from the sun to Jupiter as follows:
(period of orbit)^2 = (distance from sun)^3
(12 years)^2 = (distance from sun)^3
144 = (distance from sun)^3
Taking the cube root of both sides:
distance from sun = approximately 5.2 AU

The Period of Jupiter S Orbit Around the Sun Is