Final answer:
To calculate the average velocity of mercury as it orbits the sun, use the formula average velocity = distance / time. The distance is the circumference of the circular orbit, which can be calculated using the formula 2πR, and the time is the period of the orbit. Substitute the given values to calculate the average velocity of mercury.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the average velocity of mercury as it orbits the sun, we need to use the formula for average velocity, which is distance divided by time. The distance is the circumference of the circular orbit of mercury, which can be calculated using the formula 2πR, where R is the radius of the orbit. The time is the period of the orbit of mercury. So, the average velocity is the circumference of the orbit divided by the period of the orbit.
Let's use the given average radius of 5.791×10¹⁰ m and the period of 88.0 days to calculate the average velocity:
Average velocity = (2πR) / T
where R = 5.791×10¹⁰ m and T = 88.0 days
Substituting the values, we get:
Average velocity = (2π * 5.791×10¹⁰) / (88.0 * 24 * 60 * 60)
Calculating this expression gives us the average velocity of mercury as it orbits the sun.