Suppose an asteroid had an orbit with a semimajor axis of 4 AU.How long would it take for it to orbit once around the Sun?
A) 76 years
B) 45 years
C) 8 years
D) 16 years
E) 2 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Kepler's Third Law, the orbital period (P) in years is related to the semimajor axis (a) in astronomical units (AU) by the formula P^2 = a^3. For a semimajor axis of 4 AU, P^2 = 4^3 = 64, so P = √64 = 8 years.

Suppose an Asteroid Had an Orbit with a Semimajor Axis