As a planet draws away from the sun in its orbit, the force between the sun and the planet

Question

remains the same
and the planet's speed
increases
.

Answer 1

The statement you provided is not accurate. Let's clarify how gravitational forces and orbital dynamics work:

1. Gravitational Force: The gravitational force between the sun and a planet is given by Newton's law of gravitation, which states that the force is proportional to the product of the masses of the two bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. As a planet moves away from the sun, the distance increases, which results in a decrease in the gravitational force.

2. Orbital Speed: In a stable orbit, a planet's velocity is influenced by its distance from the sun. When a planet is further away, it typically moves slower in its orbit (this is described by Kepler's laws of planetary motion). In fact, according to Kepler's third law, the square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit. Thus, as the planet draws away from the sun, its speed decreases.

So, to summarize: As a planet moves away from the sun, the gravitational force between them decreases, and the planet's speed also decreases (not increases).