answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

It is believed by some that mass of an orbiting body has no effect on its orbital period, a logical conclusion which must follow from the fact that two objects of different weight fall towards the ground at the same speed for example. However, it must be understood that this is possible only because the two falling objects have masses that are negligible compared to the planet that they are falling towards. This scenario no longer applies when we are talking about a body with a significant mass relative to the mass of the body it orbits. Newton's formula for orbital period takes into account the masses of both the orbiting object and the central object being orbited:

p2 = 4pi2a3/ G(M1 + M2)

Where M1 is the mass of the orbiting body, M2 is the mass of the body being orbited, "a" is the distance between the two, of course G is the Gravitational Constant. When M1 is negligible compared to M2 (such as the mass of a radio satellite compared to the mass of the Earth), M1 can be practically ignored. However, if M1 is significant compared to M2, it cannot. Let us consider what the orbital period would be for several planets, if they could somehow be made to orbit the sun at the same distance as the Earth from the sun. A planet the size of Mars (about a 10th the size of earth) would have an orbital period of one year minus 40 seconds (a negligible difference from Earth's period to be sure). A planet the size of Jupiter (about 300 times the size of earth) would have an orbital period of about 1 year and 4 hours. If you can imagine a giant planet with a mass 4 times that of Jupiter, it would have an orbital period of about 1 year and 17 hours.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

For any given central body, the larger orbits around it are associated with longer orbital periods.

Examples:

-- The outer planets take longer to orbit the sun than the inner planets do.

-- The International Space Station orbits the earth in less time than the moon does.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

Yes and no. The period isn't directly proportional. It's proportional

to the 3/2 power of the radius (or semi-major axis).

The simple relationship is: The larger the orbit, the longer the orbital period.

The relationship in sharper focus:

[ (The orbital period)2 divided by (the radius of the orbit)3 ]

is the same number for each body in orbit around the same central body.

This fact falls out of one of Kepler's laws when they're algebraically massaged.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago

The farther a planet is from the sun, the longer it takes to revolve around

the sun in its orbit.

The ratio of (Orbital period)2/(Semi-major axis)3 is a constant for every object

in solar orbit. (That's Kepler's 3rd law of planetary motion.)

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What is the relationship between orbital period and orbital distance?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

The relationship between the average distance of a planet from the sun and the planets orbital period is described by what?

AUs


What is the relationship between the distance of a planet from the sun and its orbital period?

F is directly porportional to P


What relationship exists between a planet's distance from the sun and its period of revolution?

The relationship that exists between a planet's distance from the Sun and its period of revolution is that the closer the planet is from the Sun, the less amount of time it takes for the planet to complete its period of revolution.


What is the relationship between a planet's distance from the sun and the planet's period of revolution?

The relationship between the planet's SPEED and its distance from the Sun is given by Kepler's Third Law.From there, it is fairly easy to derive a relationship between the period of revolution, and the distance.


What does the distance between the sun and a planet determine?

The distance between the sun and a planet determines its orbital period, its orbital speed, and the amount of insolation. Other factors such as composition and albedo are required to determine other variables.


What is the relationship between distance from the sun and period of revolution?

the planets


What is the relationship between the period of revolution and distance from the sun?

the planets


What can you say about the relationship between the period of revolution and the distance from the sun?

As the distance from the sun increases, the period of revolution increases. Therefore this is a direct relationship. hope this helps :)


At what distance from the Sun would a planets orbital period be 3 million years?

At what distance from the Sun would a planet's orbital period be 3 million years?


What effect has distance of a planet to the sun to its orbital period?

you are chicken


What is the rotational period of inner planets?

They are all different. Earth is fastest, at 23 hours 56 minutes; Venus is slowest, at 243 days. (In fact, the "day" on Venus is longer than the "year"!) There really isn't any relationship between the orbital distance and rotational period.


What is the relationship between a planet's distance from the Sun and its period of revolution?

The farther away from the sun, the longer the period of revolution takes.