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What concept does Kepler's Third Law describe?
The shape of planetary orbits
The relative speed of planets
The relationship between orbital period and distance from the Sun
The position of planets in the solar system
The correct answer is: The relationship between orbital period and distance from the Sun
Kepler's Third Law precisely describes the relationship between the orbital period of a planet and its distance from the Sun. Specifically, it states that the square of the orbital period (the time it takes for a planet to make one complete orbit around the Sun) is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit (which represents the average distance from the planet to the Sun). This relationship can be mathematically expressed as \( T^2 \propto r^3 \), where \( T \) is the orbital period and \( r \) is the semi-major axis length. This law is significant because it reveals that the further a planet is from the Sun, the longer its orbital period will be. Therefore, planets that are farther away from the Sun move more slowly in their orbits compared to those that are closer, reflecting a fundamental aspect of gravitational dynamics in our solar system. In contrast, the other concepts do not capture what Kepler's Third Law specifically addresses. The shape of planetary orbits is described by Kepler's First Law, the relative speed of planets during their orbits relates to variations in their velocity due to gravitational influences but is not fundamentally illustrated by Kepler's Third Law, and the position of planets