The eccentricity of planet Neptune is so small that its orbit is nearly circular with radius 4498 × 10⁶ km. Determine Neptune's orbital speed given that Neptune's period is 60180 Earth days. A) 5.44 km/s B) 130.45 km/s C) 163.06 km/s D) 0.87 km/s E) 2.72 km/s

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The orbital speed $v$ of a planet can be calculated using the formula $v = \frac{2\pi r}{T}$, where $r$ is the radius of the orbit and $T$ is the orbital period in seconds. Given that Neptune's orbit radius is $4.498 \times 10^{12}$ km and its period is 60180 Earth days, converting the period into seconds ($60180 \times 24 \times 3600$) and substituting the values into the formula gives an orbital speed of approximately 5.44 km/s.

The Eccentricity of Planet Neptune Is So Small That Its