Spaceman Speff orbits spherical asteroid X with his spaceship. To remain in a circular orbit at 421 km from the asteroid's center, he should maintain a speed of 80 m/s. What is the mass of planet X? (G = 6.67 × 10^-11 N ∙ m²/kg²) A) 4.0 × 10¹⁹ kg B) 5.1 × 10¹⁷ kg C) 4.0 × 10¹⁶ kg D) 5.1 × 10¹⁴ kg

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A because the mass of the planet is directly proportional to the square of the orbital speed and the cube of the orbital radius.

Spaceman Speff Orbits Spherical Asteroid X with His Spaceship