jupiter orbits the sun twice in 23.72 years. What is the length of its semi major axis as it orbits the sun in AU?
A) 563 AU
B) 5.2 AU
C) 115.5 AU
D) 4.9 AU
Pls help me someone pls π
This means the distance of Jupiter from the sun when it is closest to the sun. I actually do not know.
5.2 AU
Just took the test
To find the length of Jupiter's semi-major axis as it orbits the sun in AU, we can use Kepler's third law:
T^2 = (4Ο^2 / G) * a^3
where T is the orbital period in years, a is the semi-major axis in AU, and G is the gravitational constant.
Given that Jupiter's orbital period is 23.72 years, we can substitute this value into the equation:
(23.72)^2 = (4Ο^2 / G) * a^3
To simplify the equation, we need the value of G. The gravitational constant, G, is approximately 6.67430 x 10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2.
To convert the units, we need to use the following equivalences:
1 AU = 1.496 x 10^11 m
1 year = 3.154 x 10^7 s
After substituting these values and rearranging the equation to solve for a, we get:
a^3 = [(23.72)^2 * G / (4Ο^2)] * (1.496 x 10^11)^3 / (3.154 x 10^7)^2
Simplifying this expression:
a^3 β 2.824 x 10^23
Taking the cube root of both sides:
a β 1371.1 AU
Therefore, the length of Jupiter's semi-major axis as it orbits the sun in AU is approximately 1371.1 AU.
None of the given options matches this value, so it seems there may be an error in the options provided.
To calculate the length of the semi-major axis for Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, we can use Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion. According to this law, the square of the orbital period (T) of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun (a).
To find the length of the semi-major axis (a), we can rearrange the equation as follows:
a = (T^2 * k)^(1/3)
Where T is the orbital period of Jupiter and k is a constant value.
Given that Jupiter orbits the Sun twice in 23.72 years, we can substitute this value into the equation:
a = (23.72^2 * k)^(1/3)
Now we need to solve for k. We can use the fact that Earth's orbital period is approximately 1 year and its semi-major axis is 1 astronomical unit (AU). So we have:
1^2 * k = 1^3
k = 1
Substituting this into the equation for Jupiter:
a = (23.72^2 * 1)^(1/3)
a = (562.9584)^(1/3)
a β 8.821
Therefore, the length of Jupiter's semi-major axis as it orbits the Sun is approximately 8.821 AU.
Looking at the options provided:
A) 563 AU
B) 5.2 AU
C) 115.5 AU
D) 4.9 AU
The correct answer is not listed among the options. It seems that none of the given options matches the calculated value.