The diagram below models Mercury and Venus orbiting the Sun. What force causes Venus to travel along a curved path instead of moving in a straight line as indicated by the dashed line in the diagram?
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4 points
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Electromagnetic attraction between the Sun and Venus
Gravitational attraction between the Sun and Venus
Electromagnetic attraction between Mercury and Venus
Gravitational attraction between Mercury and Venus
Gravitational attraction between the Sun and Venus
The force that causes Venus to travel along a curved path instead of moving in a straight line is the gravitational attraction between the Sun and Venus.
The force that causes Venus to travel along a curved path instead of moving in a straight line is the gravitational attraction between the Sun and Venus. Gravitational attraction is the force of attraction between two objects with mass. In this case, the Sun's massive presence causes Venus to experience a gravitational force towards the Sun. This force acts as a centripetal force, pulling Venus towards the Sun and causing it to move in a circular or elliptical orbit around the Sun. If there were no gravitational force acting on Venus, it would indeed move in a straight line, but due to the gravitational force, Venus follows a curved path.
