Kepler's Second Law states (explain)
a
The area swept out by an orbiting object must be the same for the same time period at any point of the orbital path
b
All orbiting objects in the solar system orbit in elliptical shapes, with the Sun as one of the foci
c
The square of the orbital period of an orbiting object is proportional to the cube of the length of the object's semi-major axis
The correct answer is c. The square of the orbital period of an orbiting object is proportional to the cube of the length of the object's semi-major axis.
This means that the time it takes for an object to complete one orbit around its star (or planet) is related to the length of the object's orbital path. Specifically, if you square the time it takes for an object to complete one orbit (its orbital period) and divide it by the cube of the length of the semi-major axis of its orbit, you will always get the same value.
In simpler terms, this law explains that planets closer to their star have shorter orbital periods, while planets farther away have longer orbital periods. For example, Mercury, which is closest to the Sun, has an orbital period of about 88 Earth days, while Neptune, the farthest planet from the Sun, has an orbital period of about 165 Earth years. This law helps us understand the relationship between the size of a planet's orbit and its motion around its star.