Given the perihelion distance, aphelion distance, and speed at perihelion of a planet, which of the following CANNOT be calculated?
A)the mass of the star
B)the mass of the planet
C)the speed of the planet at aphelion
D)the period of orbit
E)the semimajor axis of the orbit

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of the planet cannot be calculated directly from the given information (perihelion distance, aphelion distance, and speed at perihelion) because these parameters are primarily influenced by the mass of the star around which the planet orbits, not the mass of the planet itself. The gravitational force (and thus the orbital characteristics) that a planet experiences is predominantly due to the star's mass according to Kepler's laws and Newton's law of universal gravitation.

Given the Perihelion Distance, Aphelion Distance, and Speed at Perihelion