While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Uranus has twenty-seven moons, including Oberon and Miranda.
- Oberon completes an orbit of Uranus in 13.46 Earth days on average.
- Miranda completes an orbit of Uranus in 1.41 Earth days on average.
- German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) described the orbits of planets as elliptical in shape rather than circular.
- Kepler published three laws of planetary motion to describe the orbits of planets around the Sun.
- Kepler's laws also apply to the elliptical orbits of natural satellites (e.g., moons).
The student wants to contrast the orbits of the two moons. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Miranda completes its orbit of Uranus many times faster than Oberon does.
B. Kepler's three laws of planetary motion describe the orbits of planets and natural satellites, including those of Oberon and Miranda.
C. Oberon's orbit of Uranus is elliptical in shape and takes, on average, 13.46 Earth days, while Miranda's orbit of Uranus is circular in shape and takes, on average, 1.41 Earth days.
D. Uranus's moons, specifically Oberon and Miranda, orbit their planet in the same way the planets orbit the Sun.
Answer (2)
To contrast the orbits of the moons Oberon and Miranda, it's important to note that Miranda completes its orbit much faster than Oberon, taking only 1.41 Earth days compared to Oberon's 13.46 Earth days. This highlights the significant difference in their orbital speeds. Therefore, the best choice to reflect this distinction is option A.
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To effectively contrast the orbits of Uranus's moons Oberon and Miranda using the student's notes, we need to focus on the differences in their orbital periods.
Option A: 'Miranda completes its orbit of Uranus many times faster than Oberon does.'
This choice effectively highlights the main difference by noting that Miranda orbits Uranus significantly faster than Oberon. According to the notes, Miranda completes its orbit in about 1.41 Earth days, while Oberon takes about 13.46 Earth days to complete its orbit. This clearly shows that Miranda's orbit period is much shorter, indicating a faster orbit around Uranus.
The other options provide additional or related information but do not emphasize the contrast between the two moons' orbital periods as effectively as option A does.
Therefore, the most effective choice is Option A.
