The data shows the orbital period, orbital speed, distance from the Sun, and rotation period for each of the planets in our solar system.

Question

Planet Orbital Period (days) Orbital Speed (km/s) Distance from the Sun (106 km) Rotation Period (hours)
Earth 365.2 29.8 149.6 23.9
Jupiter 4331 13.1 778.5 9.9
Mars 687 24.1 228 24.6
Mercury 88 47.4 57.9 1407.6
Neptune 59,800 5.4 4515 16.1
Saturn 10,747 9.7 1432 10.7
Uranus 30,589 6.8 2867 17.2
Venus 224.7 35 108.2 5832.5

Which of the planets travels around the Sun at the fastest speed?

Responses
A Uranus because it is the greatest distance from the Sun at 2867.0x10
km.Uranus because it is the greatest distance from the Sun at 2867.0x10 6 km.
B Venus because it has the second shortest orbital period at 224.7 days.Venus because it has the second shortest orbital period at 224.7 days.
C Jupiter because it has the shortest rotation period at 24.6 hours.Jupiter because it has the shortest rotation period at 24.6 hours.
D Mercury because it has the greatest orbital speed at 47.4km/s.

Answer 1

The planet that travels around the Sun at the fastest speed is D: Mercury because it has the greatest orbital speed at 47.4 km/s.

Mercury's high speed is a result of its proximity to the Sun, which leads to a short orbital period and high velocity in its orbit.