distance a planet travels in its orbit?

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distance a planet travels in its orbit?

if we know how far the planet is from the sun, can we calculate the distance it travels to complete an orbit by using the formula pi*r^2, when r is the distance between the planet and the sun? this is only for a planet that orbits the sun in a circle huh

2007-01-22 12:19:55 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics

ooops, i mean 2*pi*r, lol

2007-01-22 14:44:14 · update #1

2 answers

No, since πr² is the formula for the area of a circle. You would use the formula for the circumference, which is 2πr.

2007-01-22 13:02:38 · answer #1 · answered by Ben C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋

Yes you could. It would be reasonably close for most planets and asteriods.

Actual orbits are ellipses, and some orbits are more elliptical than others. Cometary orbits are notorious for this.

2007-01-22 20:31:54 · answer #2 · answered by John T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋