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WorksheetsKepler's Third Law
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 25mins
Kepler's 3rd law states that a planet's period is proportional to its distance from the sun. Use the calculator found at http://www.1728.org/kepler3.htm to solve the following problem:
Mercury's period (p) is 0.241 years, how far is it from the sun (a)? Your answer should be in AUs. Do NOT include units in your answer.
(a)
A planet is 3.9 AU from the Sun. Find the period of the planet (p) in years. Do NOT include units in your answer.
(a)
Kepler's 3rd laws states that the semi-major axis of a planet’s orbit (average distance to the sun in A.U.’s) is related to the planet’s orbit period by the equation:
p2 = a3
In this equation what does 'p' represent?
A planet's average distance from the sun
A planet's orbital period
Kepler’s 3rd law states that the semi-major axis of a planet’s orbit (average distance to the sun in A.U.’s) is related to the planet’s orbit period (in Earth-years) by the equation:
p2 = a3
What does 'a' represent in this equation?
A planet's distance from the sun
A planet's orbital period
Kepler's third law states the closer a planet is to its Sun, the shorter the planet's orbital period (year) and the farther a planet is from the Sun the longer the year.
True
False
Kepler's third law states the closer a planet is to its Sun, the shorter the planet's orbital period (year) and the farther a planet is from the Sun the longer the year.
True
False
Which is the formula for Kepler's third law?
The amount of time it takes for a planet to orbit around the sun is it's _____
axis length
foci
magnitude
period
The farther a planet is from the sun the (a) it's period of orbit.
Uranus orbits the sun at a distance of 19.19 AU. What is Uranus’ orbital period in earth years?
(a)
Mercury orbits the sun at a distance of 0.4 AU. What is Mercury’s orbital period in earth years?
(a)
Jupiter orbits the sun at a distance of 5.2 AU. What is Jupiter’s orbital period in earth years?
(a)
Mars orbits the sun at a distance of 2.336 AU. What is Mars’ orbital period in earth years?
(a)
According to Kepler's Third Law, if a planet's orbital period is 8 years, what is the approximate distance from the sun in astronomical units (AU)?
2 AU
4 AU
8 AU
16 AU
Kepler's Third Law is often expressed as p2=a3 . What does 'p' represent in this equation?
The planet's orbital period in years
The planet's distance from the sun in AU
The planet's mass
The planet's velocity
If a planet is 9 AU from the sun, what is its orbital period according to Kepler's Third Law?
9 years
27 years
81 years
3 years
Which of the following best describes Kepler's Third Law?
The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the square of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
The cube of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the square of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
The orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the semi-major axis of its orbit.
A planet orbits a star at a distance of 1 AU and has an orbital period of 1 year. If another planet orbits the same star at a distance of 4 AU, what is its orbital period?
2 years
4 years
8 years
16 years
Kepler's Third Law can be used to determine which of the following?
The mass of a planet
The distance of a planet from the sun
The orbital period of a planet
Both the distance from the sun and the orbital period
If a planet's orbital period is 64 years, what is its distance from the sun in AU according to Kepler's Third Law?
4 AU
8 AU
16 AU
32 AU
Which of the following is a real-world application of Kepler's Third Law?
Calculating the mass of a distant star
Determining the speed of light
Predicting the orbital period of a newly discovered exoplanet
Measuring the gravitational force between two planets
A newly discovered planet has an orbital period of 125 years. Using Kepler's Third Law, estimate its distance from the sun.
5 AU
10 AU
25 AU
50 AU
Kepler's Third Law is crucial for understanding which aspect of planetary motion?
The shape of planetary orbits
The speed of planets in their orbits
The relationship between a planet's orbital period and its distance from the sun
The gravitational force between planets
If a planet's distance from the sun is doubled, how does its orbital period change according to Kepler's Third Law?
It remains the same
It doubles
It increases by a factor of 23
It increases by a factor of 32√
Which of the following statements is true according to Kepler's Third Law?
All planets orbit the sun in perfect circles
The closer a planet is to the sun, the longer its orbital period
The farther a planet is from the sun, the longer its orbital period
The mass of a planet affects its orbital period
