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Satellite J takes 20 weeks to orbit the earth. The position of satellite J is 4 times further from the earth than satellite K. How long does satellite K orbit the earth?

User RonTLV
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Final answer:

To find how long it takes Satellite K to orbit the Earth, working with Kepler's Third Law, we find that Satellite K's period is 2.5 weeks, because Satellite J, which is 4 times further away, orbits in 20 weeks.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to Kepler's Third Law, which relates the period of a celestial body's orbit to its distance from the central body. In the context of the question, Satellite J orbits the Earth in 20 weeks and is 4 times further from the Earth than Satellite K. To determine how long it takes for Satellite K to orbit the Earth, we must consider that Kepler's Third Law states that the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the 3/2 power of the semi-major axis of its orbit.

Applying this to our satellites, if Satellite J is 4 times further away from the Earth than Satellite K, then its orbital period would be 4^(3/2) = 8 times that of Satellite K. Therefore, since Satellite J's period is 20 weeks, to find Satellite K's period, we divide 20 weeks by 8, yielding a period of 2.5 weeks for Satellite K to complete an orbit around the Earth.

User Znq
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