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GK QUESTION#3031

According to the Law of Periods, the square of a planet's time period is proportional to:

  1. AThe square of its distance from the sun
  2. BThe cube of the semi-major axis of its orbitCorrect answer
  3. CThe square root of its orbital radius
  4. DThe product of its mass and orbital speed
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Answer

B. The cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit

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Explanation

Kepler’s third law relates orbital period and size: for planets orbiting the same dominant central mass, T² is proportional to a³, where a is the orbit’s semi-major axis. For a circular orbit, a equals the orbital radius.

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