215k views
0 votes
An asteroid has a 7:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter. What is its orbital period (in years)?

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The orbital period of an asteroid with a 7:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter can be calculated to be approximately 41.51 years by multiplying 5.93 years, which is half of Jupiter's orbital period of 11.86 years, by 7.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the orbital period of an asteroid with a 7:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter, we must first know Jupiter's orbital period, which is approximately 11.86 years. An orbital resonance of 7:2 means that for every 7 orbits Jupiter makes, the asteroid completes 2 orbits. Therefore, to calculate the asteroid's orbital period (T), we divide Jupiter's period by 2 and then multiply by 7:

T = (11.86 years / 2) × 7

T = 5.93 years × 7

T = 41.51 years

Thus, the asteroid's orbital period is approximately 41.51 years.

User Kayleigh
by
7.7k points