Question

If the eccentricity of a planet's orbit about the Sun is 0.4, find the ratio of the lengths of the major to the minor axes of the orbit of the planet.

Answer 1

planet's orbit around the sun is an elipse..
whats the formula for eccentricity of an elipse?

Answer 2

\[\epsilon =\sqrt{1-\frac{ b ^{2} }{ a ^{2} }}\]

Answer 3

true. now you just have to solve it..
put 0.4 for e, and solve for a/b..

Answer 4

now I got it

\[\frac{ b ^{2} }{ a ^{2} }=1-\epsilon ^{2}=1-0.16=0.84\]
\[\frac{ a }{ b }=\sqrt{\frac{ 1 }{ 0.84 }}\]
\[\frac{ a }{ b }=1.091\]
Thanks.

Answer 5

Cheers. :)