Would the following changes increase or decrease the gravitational pull between the Earth and Sun?(1 point)

Increase Decrease
The Sun doubles in size.

The Sun was farther away from Earth.

The Earth becomes closer to the Sun.

1 answer

Let's analyze each change to determine whether it would increase or decrease the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Sun:

  1. The Sun doubles in size:

    • Gravitational pull depends on the mass of the objects. If the Sun doubles in size, it is typically assumed it also doubles in mass (since density remains roughly constant), which would increase the gravitational pull. Answer: Increase
  2. The Sun was farther away from Earth:

    • The gravitational pull decreases with the square of the distance between the two objects. If the Sun were farther away from the Earth, the gravitational pull would decrease. Answer: Decrease
  3. The Earth becomes closer to the Sun:

    • Similarly, the gravitational pull increases as the distance between the two objects decreases. If the Earth gets closer to the Sun, the gravitational pull would increase. Answer: Increase

In summary:

  • The Sun doubles in size: Increase
  • The Sun was farther away from Earth: Decrease
  • The Earth becomes closer to the Sun: Increase