Question 13 (1 point)
A planet's rotation determines the length of its day and its revolution determines the length of its year. A day on Earth is 24 hours, and a year on Earth is 365 days. In contrast, a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. Which is the best reason for why this is true?
a
The orbit of Venus takes it too close to the Sun .
b
The orbit of Venus takes it too far away from the Sun
c
It takes Venus longer to rotate on its axis than to orbit the Sun .
d
It takes Venus longer to orbit the Sun than to rotate on its axis.
d
It takes Venus longer to orbit the Sun than to rotate on its axis.
To answer this question, we need to understand the concepts of rotation and revolution. Rotation refers to the spinning motion of a planet on its own axis, while revolution refers to the movement of a planet around the Sun.
According to the question, a day on Earth is 24 hours, which means it takes Earth approximately 24 hours to complete one full rotation on its axis. Additionally, a year on Earth is 365 days, indicating that it takes Earth approximately 365 days to complete one full revolution around the Sun.
The question then states that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. To determine why this is true, we need to compare the rotation and revolution of Venus to those of Earth.
Option a suggests that Venus's orbit takes it too close to the Sun. This explanation does not directly address the length of a day on Venus in comparison to its year, so we can eliminate it as the best reason.
Option b suggests that Venus's orbit takes it too far away from the Sun. This explanation also does not directly relate to the length of a day on Venus in comparison to its year, so we can eliminate it as the best reason.
Option c suggests that it takes Venus longer to rotate on its axis than to orbit the Sun. This explanation aligns with the given information that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. Furthermore, it corresponds with the concept that rotation determines the length of a day. Therefore, option c is a plausible explanation and could be the best reason.
Option d suggests that it takes Venus longer to orbit the Sun than to rotate on its axis. This explanation contradicts the given information that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. Therefore, we can exclude it as the best reason.
In conclusion, option c - "It takes Venus longer to rotate on its axis than to orbit the Sun" - is the best reason for why a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.
The correct answer is:
d) It takes Venus longer to orbit the Sun than to rotate on its axis.
Explanation: Venus has a longer day than year because it takes Venus longer to rotate on its axis (a day) compared to the time it takes for Venus to orbit the Sun (a year).