What is the physical reason as to why orbiting objects move slower in aphelion?

Question

a During aphelion, the object runs into friction with the space dust and gas that it moves through
b During aphelion, the object is farthest away from the Sun, thus it experiences a lesser force of gravity
c During aphelion, the object slows down due to gravitational pull from other objects closer than the Sun
d During aphelion, the object is closer to the galactic center and thus is pulled away to prevent the increasing speed of the orbit

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

b During aphelion, the object is farthest away from the Sun, thus it experiences a lesser force of gravity.

In celestial mechanics, an orbiting object moves in an elliptical path, with the Sun at one of the foci of the ellipse. According to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, particularly the law of areas, an object moves more slowly in its orbit when it is at aphelion (the farthest point from the Sun) because the gravitational force exerted by the Sun is weaker at this distance. This reduced gravitational pull results in the object having a lower orbital speed compared to when it is at perihelion (the closest point to the Sun), where the gravitational force is stronger, causing it to move faster.