Doubling the mean distance from the Sun results in changing the orbital period of revolution by what factor? A)2^1/2 B)2 C)2^3/2 D)2²

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Kepler's Third Law, the square of the period of revolution of a planet is proportional to the cube of its mean distance from the Sun. So, doubling the mean distance results in changing the orbital period by the square root of (2^3) which is 2^(3/2) or 2 times the square root of 2. Therefore, the correct choice is C, which represents this ratio in fraction form.

Doubling the Mean Distance from the Sun Results in Changing