A planet of mass m moves in the inverse square central force field of the Sun of mass M . If the semi-major and semi-minor axes of the orbit are a and b , respectively, the total energy of the planet is:

          (a)    - ( G M m ) / ( a + b )

          (b)   - ( G M m ) [ ( 1 / a ) + ( 1 / b ) ]

          (c)    – [ ( G M m ) / a ] [ ( 1 / b ) - ( 1 / a ) ]

          (d)   - ( G M m ) / [ ( a – b ) / ( a + b )² ]