How do you compute Jupiter's orbital period around the sun in earth's days?

Answer 1

You first need two things: a) the mass of the Sun and b) Jupiter's orbital distance from the Sun. You can easily look up these values in any astronomy book. Once you got both down, apply the formula (which comes from Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion)

R3 = GMT2 / 4Pi2

where

R = the orbital distance of the planet (in meters)

G = the Gravitational Constant (whose value is 6.673x10-11)

M = the mass of the Sun (1.98x1030 kg)

T = the orbital period of the planet (in seconds). This is your target value.

The other operands are straightforward.

At this point, all you need to do is substitute the appropriate values in the formula, then rearrange and solve for T. Make absolutely certain you take into account the units; in this case, T will be calculated in seconds. When you have the value of T in seconds at the end of your calculation, simply convert it to days and you will get your answer. (Hint: There are 86,400 seconds in a standard Earth-day.)