Responses
The sun’s gravitational pull on the sun decreases.
The sun’s gravitational pull on the sun decreases.
The planet’s inertia begins to point backward along its orbit.
The planet’s inertia begins to point backward along its orbit.
The direction of the sun’s pull relative to the planet’s motion changes.
The direction of the sun’s pull relative to the planet’s motion changes.
The planet’s inertia begins to point inward toward the sun.
1 answer
The correct response is:
The direction of the sun’s pull relative to the planet’s motion changes.
As a planet moves away from the sun in its elliptical orbit, the gravitational pull from the sun still exists, but because the planet is further away, the pull has a different effect on the planet's motion. This changing direction affects the planet's speed.
