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) 2 years
B) 4 years
C) 8 years
D) 16 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The period, or time it takes for an object to orbit the Sun, can be calculated using Kepler's Third Law, which states that the square of the period is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis. Using this formula, we can calculate the period of the asteroid's orbit:

T² = a³
T² = (4 AU)³
T² = 64 AU²
T = √(64 AU²)
T = 8 years

Therefore, the best choice is C) 8 years.

Suppose an Asteroid Had an Orbit with a Semimajor Axis