Kepler's third law of planetary motion states that the square of a planet's orbital period is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of the orbit. Put simply, planets _________ from the Sun have _________ orbital periods, and we can calculate a planet's orbital period if we know the dimensions of its orbit.
A)closer to; longer
B)farther from; shorter
C)closer to; no
D)farther from; longer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Kepler's third law, planets farther from the Sun have longer orbital periods. This is because the gravitational pull of the Sun weakens with distance, so planets must travel at slower speeds to maintain their orbits. Therefore, option D is the best choice.

Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion States That the Square