Explanations:
The question asks which planet has the shortest path around the Sun. To understand this, we need to consider the orbital paths of the planets in our solar system. Planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths, with the Sun at one of the foci of the ellipse. The shape and size of these orbits are determined by the distance of the planet from the Sun, which is known as the semi-major axis of the orbit.
The distance of a planet from the Sun is a critical factor in determining the length of its orbital path. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the shorter its orbital path will be. This is because the circumference of an orbit is directly proportional to the distance from the Sun. The formula for the circumference of an orbit is given by \( C = 2\pi a \), where \( a \) is the semi-major axis of the orbit.
Among the planets in our solar system, Mercury is the closest to the Sun. It has the smallest semi-major axis, which means its orbital path is the shortest. The other planets, such as Venus, Earth, and Neptune, are all farther from the Sun, and thus their orbital paths are longer than that of Mercury.
It is important to note that the length of a planet's orbital path is not the same as the length of its year. The length of a year is determined by the time it takes for a planet to complete one full orbit around the Sun. While Mercury has the shortest orbital path, it also has the shortest year because it moves faster in its orbit due to the stronger gravitational pull of the Sun at its closer distance.
In summary, the planet with the shortest path around the Sun is Mercury, as it is the closest planet to the Sun and has the smallest semi-major axis of its orbit.