Multiple choice

Why is the orbital period of Mercury 88 days while Earth's is 365 days?

  1. Earth has less mass

  2. Mercury has more mass

  3. Mercury is closer to the Sun

  4. Earth is closer to the Sun
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

According to Kepler's third law of planetary motion, planets closer to the Sun have shorter orbital paths and experience stronger gravitational pull, resulting in faster orbital speeds and shorter orbital periods. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, so its year is much shorter than Earth's.

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