Orbit of Mercury The planet Mercury travels around the Sun in an elliptical orbit given approximately by r = ( 3.442 ) 10 7 1 − 0.206 cos θ where r is measured in miles and the Sun is at the pole. Find the distance from Mercury to the Sun at aphelion (greatest distance from the Sun) and at perihelion (shortest distance from the Sun). See the figure. Use the aphelion and perihelion to graph the orbit of Mercury using a graphing utility.
Orbit of Mercury The planet Mercury travels around the Sun in an elliptical orbit given approximately by r = ( 3.442 ) 10 7 1 − 0.206 cos θ where r is measured in miles and the Sun is at the pole. Find the distance from Mercury to the Sun at aphelion (greatest distance from the Sun) and at perihelion (shortest distance from the Sun). See the figure. Use the aphelion and perihelion to graph the orbit of Mercury using a graphing utility.
Solution Summary: The author calculates the distance from Mercury to the Sun at aphelion and perihelon to graph the orbit of the planet.
Orbit of Mercury The planet Mercury travels around the Sun in an elliptical orbit given approximately by
where
is measured in miles and the Sun is at the pole. Find the distance from Mercury to the Sun at aphelion (greatest distance from the Sun) and at perihelion (shortest distance from the Sun). See the figure. Use the aphelion and perihelion to graph the orbit of Mercury using a graphing utility.
Thomas' Calculus: Early Transcendentals (14th Edition)
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