SOLUTION: the orbit of mercury around the sun forms an ellipse with eccentricity 0.206,length of the major axis 1.16*10^8km and the sun at one focus. what is the aproximate distance from mer

Algebra ->  Quadratic-relations-and-conic-sections -> SOLUTION: the orbit of mercury around the sun forms an ellipse with eccentricity 0.206,length of the major axis 1.16*10^8km and the sun at one focus. what is the aproximate distance from mer      Log On


   

Question 1012031: the orbit of mercury around the sun forms an ellipse with eccentricity 0.206,length of the major axis 1.16*10^8km and the sun at one focus. what is the aproximate distance from mercury to the sun?
Answer by ValorousDawn(53) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Due to a combination of a conformal standard and a coincidence, you just have to find the aphelion and perihelion, or the distance from the foci to the ends of the ellipse, and take the average, for this average. The two sum to be the length of the major axis, which we have as 1.16*10^8 km. The average of the two is found by dividing by two, so we divide 1.16*10^8 km for 5.08*10^8 km.