Which statement describes the area swept out by a line between a planet and the sun at equal times as the planet moves along its orbit?(1 point)

Question

Responses

It increases as the planet moves closer to the sun.
It increases as the planet moves closer to the sun.

It changes shape but always remains constant.
It changes shape but always remains constant.

It decreases as the planet moves closer to the sun.
It decreases as the planet moves closer to the sun.

It is proportional to the distance between the sun and the planet.
It is proportional to the distance between the sun and the planet.

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

It changes shape but always remains constant.

This statement reflects Kepler's Second Law of Planetary Motion, which states that a line segment joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time. Therefore, while the shape of the area may change as the planet moves closer or farther from the sun, the area swept out in equal times remains constant.