Final answer:
Option 3 is correct, as it ranks the planets from longest to shortest orbital period: Neptune, Jupiter, Earth, Mars, Mercury. This order is based on their increasing proximity to the Sun and adheres to the laws of celestial mechanics.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the correct order of the planets based on the time it takes them to orbit the Sun from longest to shortest, we look at the orbital periods of each planet. Those periods are determined largely by their distances from the Sun and are established by the laws of celestial mechanics discovered by astronomers such as Kepler and Newton. According to our understanding, the further a planet is from the Sun, the longer its orbit takes.
Based on the provided information, we know that Mercury takes 88 Earth days for one orbit, while Neptune, being the farthest from the Sun, takes 165 Earth years. The other planets rank between these two. Therefore, the correct ranking from longest to shortest orbital period is Neptune, Jupiter (just under 12 Earth years), Mars, Earth (a little more than 365 Earth days), and Mercury. This corresponds to option 3.