Question

Earth goes once around the Sun every 365.25 days. What is the ratio of the days in the Moon's synodic period to the number of days in Earth's sidereal orbital period?

a) 1:1
b) 29.5:365.25
c) 27.3:365.25
d) 12:365.25

Answer 1

The ratio of the Moon's synodic period to Earth's sidereal orbital period is approximately 29.5:365.25, which corresponds to option b) in the multiple choice question presented.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks about the ratio of the days in the Moon's synodic period to the number of days in Earth's sidereal orbital period. The Earth completes a sidereal orbit around the Sun in approximately 365.25 days, known as a sidereal year. The Moon's synodic period, which is the time it takes for the Moon to complete its cycle of phases, is approximately 29.5306 days, often simplified to 29.5 days for this type of calculation.

Based on these figures, the ratio of the days in the Moon's synodic period to the days in Earth's sidereal orbital period is approximately 29.5:365.25, which corresponds to option b).