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If it takes a planet 2.8 × 10⁸ s to orbit a star with a mass of 6.2 × 10³0 kg, what is the average distance between the planet and the star? a. 1.43 × 10⁹ m b. 9.36 × 10¹1 m c. 5.42 × 10¹3 m d. 9.06 × 10¹7 m

User Kikkpunk
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Final answer:

If it takes a planet 2.8 × 10⁸ s to orbit a star with a mass of 6.2 × 10³0 kg, the average distance between the planet and the star is approximately A. 1.43 × 10⁹ meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the average distance between the planet and the star, we can use the formula for the period of an object in circular orbit:

T = 2π√(r³/GM)

where

T is the period (given as 2.8 × 10⁸ s)

r is the average distance between the planet and the star (what we're trying to find)

G is the gravitational constant

M is the mass of the star (given as 6.2 × 10³⁰ kg).

Rearranging the formula, we get:

r = (T²GM)/(4π²)

Substituting the given values, we have:

r = ((2.8 × 10⁸ s)² × (6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ Nm²/kg²) × (6.2 × 10³⁰ kg))/(4π²)

Simplifying the expression, we find that the average distance between the planet and the star is approximately 1.43 × 10⁹ meters.

So therefore the correct answer is A. 1.43 × 10⁹ meters.

User Veridian Dynamics
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