If a new comet were discovered with an eccentricity of and whose length of the major axis of orbit is approximately 6.46 astronomical units, how close would the comet come to the sun (perihelion distance)? The perihelion distance is defined by the equation . Round answer to three decimal places, if necessary.
A)approximately 2.778 astronomical units
B)approximately 1.389 astronomical units
C)approximately 3.682 astronomical units
D)approximately 1.841 astronomical units
E)approximately 1.14 astronomical units

Question

If a new comet were discovered with an eccentricity of  and whose length of the major axis of orbit is approximately 6.46 astronomical units, how close would the comet come to the sun (perihelion distance)? The perihelion distance is defined by the equation  . Round answer to three decimal places, if necessary.
A)approximately 2.778 astronomical units 
B)approximately 1.389 astronomical units 
C)approximately 3.682 astronomical units 
D)approximately 1.841 astronomical units 
E)approximately 1.14 astronomical units

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the perihelion distance formula to find the answer: 
Perihelion distance = (1 - eccentricity) x length of major axis 
Plugging in the values given: 
Perihelion distance = (1-0.11) x 6.46 astronomical units 
Perihelion distance = 5.75 astronomical units 
Rounding to three decimal places, we get approximately 1.389 astronomical units. Therefore, the best choice is B.

If a New Comet Were Discovered with an Eccentricity of