The total mass of a binary system can be calculated from

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total mass of a binary system can be determined from the semi-major axis and period of the orbit using Kepler's laws and the mass function equation. The other options do not directly provide information about the total mass of the binary system. The total mass of a binary system can be calculated using Kepler's laws and the mass of the individual stars involved. The semi major axis and period of the orbit can be used to derive the total mass of the system using the following formula:

Mtotal = (4π²a³)/(GP²)

Where Mtotal is the total mass of the system, a is the semi major axis of the binary, G is the gravitational constant, and P is the period of the orbit. This formula assumes that the binary system is circular and the stars have the same mass. If the stars have different masses, additional information is needed to determine the individual masses of the stars.

The Total Mass of a Binary System Can Be Calculated