Question

A moon orbits a planet in an elliptical orbit. The foci of the ellipse are 50,000 km apart. The closest approach of the moon to the planet is 400,000 km. What is the length of the major axis of the orbit?

a) 200,000 km
b) 250,000 km
c) 300,000 km
d) 350,000 km

Answer 1

The length of the major axis of an elliptical orbit can be determined by adding the distance between the foci and the closest approach of the moon to the planet. Therefore, the correct answer is option a) 200,000 km.

Step-by-step explanation:

The length of the major axis of an elliptical orbit can be determined using the distance between the foci and the closest approach of the moon to the planet. In this case, the foci are 50,000 km apart and the closest approach is 400,000 km. To find the length of the major axis, we need to add the distance from each focus to the closest approach.

This will give us the sum of the two radii of the ellipse, which is equal to the length of the major axis. So, the length of the major axis is 400,000 km + 50,000 km + 50,000 km = 500,000 km. Therefore, the correct answer is option a) 200,000 km.