Polar Equations of Conics Can Be Used to Describe the Motion

Multiple Choice

Polar equations of conics can be used to describe the motion of comets. These paths can be graphed using the following polar equation, where e is the eccentricity of the conic and r _per is the perihelion distance measured in AU. For Comet 1973.99 r _per = 0.142 and e = 1.000, determine whether its trajectory is elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic.

A) elliptical
B) hyperbolic
C) parabolic