Remember Kepler's third law, which relates the period of revolution to the average distance to a planet. How do we modify that law to use with binary stars?

Question

Remember Kepler's third law, which relates the period of revolution to the average distance to a planet.   How do we modify that law to use with binary stars?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kepler's third law, when applied to binary stars, is modified to include the total mass of the two stars. This is because the gravitational attraction between the two stars, which influences their orbital period, depends on their combined mass.

Remember Kepler's Third Law, Which Relates the Period of Revolution