Temperature and Distance
If distance from the Sun was the only factor in determining a planet’s temperature, we should be able to develop a constant factor using those two variables.
For example: If you multiply the temperature of each planet by the square of the distance from the Sun as below, you should get a number that is very similar for each planet… a CONSTANT.
Temperature × Distance2 = Constant
Compare Your Results
- Study the data below in graph and table form.
- Is the “constant” similar for all of the planets? This is easy to see from the graph.
- What do you think now?
| Temperature (in Kelvin) |
Distance (in AU) |
Constant (T × D2) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 400 | 0.39 | 60.84 |
| Venus | 730 | 0.72 | 376.36 |
| Earth | 280 | 1.00 | 280.00 |
| Mars | 213 | 1.52 | 492.11 |
