The asteroid belt extends from 2 to 3.5 au from the Sun. If we take the average radius to be 2.75 au, what is the average sidereal period?
A)1.99 years
B)2.8 years
C)4.56 years
D)46.8 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using Kepler's third law, the sidereal period (P) in years is approximately equal to the square root of the cube of the semi-major axis (a) in astronomical units: P = √(a^3). For a = 2.75 au, P = √(2.75^3) ≈ 4.56 years.

The Asteroid Belt Extends from 2 to 3