Kepler's Second Law Quick Check

Question

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Question
According to Kepler’s second law of motion, which statement describes the area swept out by a line between a planet and the sun?(1 point)
Responses

It increases as the planet moves away from the sun.
It increases as the planet moves away from the sun.

It is constant for equal times.
It is constant for equal times.

It increases as the planet approaches the sun.
It increases as the planet approaches the sun.

It is constant if the planet moves at a constant speed.
It is constant if the planet moves at a constant speed.
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Answer 1

According to Kepler’s Second Law of Motion, the correct statement is:

It is constant for equal times.

This means that a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times, regardless of its distance from the sun. As a result, the speed of a planet changes depending on its distance from the sun, moving faster when it is closer and slower when it is further away, but the area covered in equal time intervals remains constant.