Kepler's First and Third Laws Quick Check

Question

5 of 55 of 5 Items
Question
Which statement describes Kepler’s third law of orbital motion?(1 point)
Responses

The square of orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis.
The square of orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis.

The cube of orbital period is proportional to the square of the semi-major axis.
The cube of orbital period is proportional to the square of the semi-major axis.

The square of orbital period is proportional to the semi-major axis.
The square of orbital period is proportional to the semi-major axis.

The orbital period is proportional to the square of the semi-major axis.
The orbital period is proportional to the square of the semi-major axis.
Skip to navigation

Answer 1

The correct statement that describes Kepler’s third law of orbital motion is:

The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis.

This can be mathematically expressed as \( T^2 \propto a^3 \), where \( T \) is the orbital period and \( a \) is the length of the semi-major axis of the orbit.