Assessing Accuracy of Solar System Orbital and Rotational Periods

Steps:

• Evaluate statement 1: Light travel time from Sun to Earth is distance (1.5 × 10^11 m) divided by speed of light (3 × 10^8 m/s), yielding ~500 seconds (8 minutes), not 3.0 × 10^8 seconds—incorrect.
• Evaluate statement 2: Earth's rotation period is 24 hours, matching one full axial spin—correct.
• Evaluate statement 3: Moon's orbital period around Earth is ~27.3 days (sidereal) or 29.5 days (synodic), approximately 1 month—correct.
• Identify correct statements: Only 2 and 3 align with astronomical facts.

Why C is correct:

• C selects statements 2 and 3, which match the defined periods of Earth's rotation (24 hours) and lunar orbit (~1 month) per standard astronomical observations.

Why the others are wrong:

• A includes incorrect statement 1, miscalculating light travel time via distance/speed formula.
• B includes incorrect statement 4, which reverses heliocentric model where Earth orbits Sun.
• D includes incorrect statement 4 and omits valid statement 2.

Final answer: C