Uranus moves in an elliptical orbit with the sun at one of the foci. The length of the half of the major axis is 2,876,769,540 kilometers, and the eccentricity is 0.0444. Find the minimum distance (perihelion) of Uranus from the sun. Round your answer to nearest kilometer.
A) 3,004,498,108 km
B) 2,749,040,972 km
C) 2,819,234,149 km
D) 7,819,870,365 km
E) 2,934,304,931 km

Question

Uranus moves in an elliptical orbit with the sun at one of the foci. The length of the half of the major axis is 2,876,769,540 kilometers, and the eccentricity is 0.0444. Find the minimum distance (perihelion) of Uranus from the sun. Round your answer to nearest kilometer. ​
A) 3,004,498,108 km
B) 2,749,040,972 km
C) 2,819,234,149 km
D) 7,819,870,365 km
E) 2,934,304,931 km

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minimum distance (perihelion) of Uranus from the sun can be calculated using the formula for the perihelion distance: $d = a(1 - e)$, where $a$ is the length of the semi-major axis and $e$ is the eccentricity. Given $a = 2,876,769,540$ km and $e = 0.0444$, the calculation is $d = 2,876,769,540 \times (1 - 0.0444) = 2,749,040,972$ km, rounded to the nearest kilometer.

Uranus Moves in an Elliptical Orbit with the Sun at One