Question

Look at the diagram of the moon and three different paths that it could take.

A planet with a moon in orbit. The moon has arrows labeled 1 through 3. 1: Curves up and away from the planet. 2: Moves straight forward. 3: Curves down to follow planet's orbit.

Which description applies best to pathway 2?

the path of the moon toward the Sun
the path of the moon’s orbit around Earth
the path the moon would take if it had a larger mass than the Sun
the path the moon would take if there was no force of Earth’s gravity

Answer 1

"the path the moon would take if there was no force of Earth’s gravity"

Explanation: Path 2 is a straight-line tangent — the moon’s inertial motion. Without Earth’s gravity to curve it, it would continue moving straight (Newton’s First Law).