Planets, distances and order Let’s look again at the

QUESTION:

Problem 23E

Planets, distances and order Let’s look again at the pattern in the locations of the planets in our solar system seen in the table in Exercise 22.

a) Re-express the distances to create a model for the Distance from the sun based on the planet’s Position.

b) Based on this model, would you agree with the International Astronomical Union that Pluto is not a planet? Explain.

Exercise 22:

Planets, distances and years At a meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague in 2006, Pluto was determined not to be a planet, but rather the largest member of the Kuiper belt of icy objects. Let’s examine some facts. Here is a table of the 9 sun-orbiting objects formerly known as planets:

a) Plot the Length of the year against the Distance from the sun. Describe the shape of your plot.

b) Re-express one or both variables to straighten the plot. Use the re-expressed data to create a model describing the length of a planet’s year based on its distance from the sun.

c) Comment on how well your model fits the data.