Based on Kepler's observations about planetary motion, what is the relationship between a planet's orbital velocity and its distance from the sun?
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1 point
The greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity.
Distance has no effect on orbital velocity.
The greater the distance, the greater the orbital velocity.
As distance is cut in half, orbital velocity decreases.
The correct answer is: The greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity.
Based on Kepler's observations about planetary motion, the correct relationship between a planet's orbital velocity and its distance from the sun is:
1. The greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity.
Based on Kepler's observations about planetary motion, the relationship between a planet's orbital velocity and its distance from the sun is: The greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity.
Kepler's third law of planetary motion, also known as the Law of Harmonies, states that the square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis. In simpler terms, this means that the time it takes for a planet to complete one orbit around the sun (orbital period) is related to the planet's average distance from the sun (semi-major axis).
Using this information, we can infer that the greater the distance of a planet from the sun, the longer its orbital period. Since the distance remains constant while the time taken for an orbit increases, it means the planet's orbital velocity decreases. This is because velocity is defined as the distance traveled per unit time, so if the distance increases while the time remains the same, the velocity decreases.
Therefore, based on Kepler's observations, we can conclude that the greater the distance from the sun, the slower the orbital velocity of a planet.