Kepler's third law,p² = a³,means that
A)a planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit.
B)all orbits with the same semimajor axis have the same period.
C)the period of a planet does not depend on its mass.
D)planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets.
E)All of the above are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kepler's third law states that the square of the orbital period (p²) of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis (a³) of its orbit. This means that the period of a planet's orbit does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit (A), all orbits with the same semi-major axis have the same period regardless of their shape (B), the period does not depend on the planet's mass (C), and since the semi-major axis determines the average distance from the Sun, planets that are farther from the Sun indeed move at slower average speeds (D). Therefore, all of the statements A through D are correct implications of Kepler's third law.

Kepler's Third Law,p² = A³,means That