Question

The orbit of the planet Mercury has a period of 88.0 days and an average radius of 5.791×10^10 m. What is the mass of the sun?

a) 1.98×10^30 kg
b) 2.98×10^30 kg
c) 3.98×10^30 kg
d) 4.98×10^30 kg

Answer 1

Using Kepler's third law, we can determine the mass of the Sun based on the period and radius of Mercury's orbit to be approximately 1.98×10^30 kg.

Step-by-step explanation:

Using Kepler's third law, we can determine the mass of the Sun based on the period and radius of Mercury's orbit. The formula to calculate the mass of the Sun is:

MSun = 4π²R³ / G * T²

Where:

• R is the average radius of Mercury's orbit
• T is the period of Mercury's orbit
• G is the gravitational constant

Plugging in the values given, the mass of the Sun is approximately 1.98×10^30 kg.