Sirius a and Sirius B Constitute a Binary Star Pair

Multiple Choice

Sirius A and Sirius B constitute a binary star pair in which the stars orbit their common center of mass with a period of 49.9 years. The stars are 2.40 × 10¹² m apart. Assume that the two stars have equal masses and that they move in a circle about their common center of mass. What is the mass of each star? G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N·m²/kg².

A) 5.41 × 10³⁰ kg
B) 2.70 × 10³⁰ kg
C) 7.55 × 10³⁰ kg
D) 3.30 × 10³⁰ kg
E) 1.65 × 10³⁰ kg