Question

Translate the answer, T² = A³, into words:

a) The square of the orbital period, T, of a planet is proportional to the cube of the average distance, A, of the planet from the Sun.
b) The square root of the orbital period, T, of a planet is inversely related to the average distance, A, of the planet from the Sun.
c) The orbital period, T, of a planet is directly proportional to the average distance, A, of the planet from the Sun.
d) The orbital period, T, of a planet is inversely proportional to the average distance, A, of the planet from the Sun.

Answer 1

The formula T² = A³ states that the square of a planet's orbital period is directly proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun, which is Kepler's Third Law of planetary motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct translation of the formula T² = A³ into words is option (a): The square of the orbital period, T, of a planet is proportional to the cube of the average distance, A, of the planet from the Sun. This statement encapsulates Kepler's Third Law of planetary motion, which articulates the relationship between the time a planet takes to orbit the Sun (the orbital period) and its average distance from the Sun (the semimajor axis of its orbit). According to Kepler's Third Law, if you square the orbital period (T²), that will be directly proportional to the cube (A³) of the planet's average distance from the Sun.