Suppose an asteroid is discovered with an elliptical orbit,a period of exactly one year,and perihelion 0.5 AU from the Sun.Using Kepler's third law,how far from the Sun is this asteroid at aphelion? (Drawing a diagram of the orbit,including the Sun,will help.)
A) 2.5 AU
B) 2.0 AU
C) 1.0 AU
D) 1.5 AU

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kepler's third law states that the square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis. Since the period is one year, the semi-major axis is 1 AU. The perihelion is 0.5 AU, so the aphelion must be 1.5 AU to maintain the semi-major axis of 1 AU.

Suppose an Asteroid Is Discovered with an Elliptical Orbit,a Period