Kepler's Third Law:
The square of the orbital period (P) of a planet is proportional to the cube of its average distance (a) from the Sun. Mathematically:
P² = a³
Units:
* P: Orbital period in Earth years
* a: Average distance from the Sun in Astronomical Units (AU)
Calculation:
1. Given: a = 4 AU
2. Substitute into Kepler's Third Law:
P² = 4³ = 64
3. Solve for P:
P = √64 = 8 years
Therefore, an object at a distance of 4 AU from the sun would have an orbital period of 8 years.