What is the orbital period of an asteroid that has a semimajor axis of 2.8 AU?
A)2.8 years
B)4.7 years
C)7.8 years
D)10.4 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The orbital period of an asteroid (or any object orbiting the Sun) can be calculated using Kepler's Third Law, which states that the square of the orbital period (P, in years) is directly proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis of its orbit (a, in astronomical units, AU). The formula is P^2 = a^3. For an asteroid with a semimajor axis of 2.8 AU, the calculation is P^2 = 2.8^3 = 21.952, and taking the square root gives P ≈ 4.7 years.

What Is the Orbital Period of an Asteroid That Has