Why does the speed of a planet decrease as it moves away from the sun?(1 point)
Responses
The planet’s inertia begins to point inward toward the sun.
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 sun’s gravitational pull on the sun decreases.
The correct response is: The sun’s gravitational pull on the planet decreases.
The correct response is: The sun’s gravitational pull on the planet decreases.
The correct answer is: The direction of the sun's pull relative to the planet's motion changes.
To understand why the speed of a planet decreases as it moves away from the sun, we need to consider the concept of gravitational pull. Gravitational pull is the force that the sun exerts on the planet, causing it to move in an orbit around the sun.
As the planet moves further away from the sun, the direction of the sun's pull changes. Initially, when the planet is closer to the sun, the pull is more directly toward the center of the sun, causing the planet to move faster. However, as the planet moves away from the sun, the pull becomes less directly in line with the planet's motion and more perpendicular to its orbital path.
This change in the direction of the sun's pull causes a component of the force to act against the planet's motion, resulting in a decrease in its speed. Since the planet is moving in a curved path, this change in pull direction contributes to a decrease in its kinetic energy and therefore its speed.
So, in conclusion, the decrease in speed of a planet as it moves away from the sun is due to the change in the direction of the sun's gravitational pull relative to the planet's motion.