A line between a planet and the sun sweeps out two equal areas at different places as it moves along its orbit. Which factor remains constant as this happens?(1 point) Responses the distance from the sun to the planet while it sweeps out the areas the distance from the sun to the planet while it sweeps out the areas the distance the planet moves along its orbit while it sweeps out the area the distance the planet moves along its orbit while it sweeps out the area the planet’s speed as it sweeps out the areas the planet’s speed as it sweeps out the areas the time required to sweep out the areas
The answer is: the distance from the sun to the planet while it sweeps out the areas
The factor that remains constant as the line between a planet and the sun sweeps out two equal areas at different places along its orbit is the planet's speed.
To determine which factor remains constant as the line between a planet and the sun sweeps out two equal areas at different places along its orbit, we need to consider the concept of the conservation of angular momentum.
When a planet orbits around the sun, the line joining the planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals. This is known as Kepler's second law of planetary motion. According to this law, a planet moves faster when it is closer to the sun and slower when it is farther away.
The conservation of angular momentum states that in the absence of external torques, the angular momentum of an object remains constant. In the case of a planet orbiting the sun, the angular momentum is given by the product of the moment of inertia and the angular velocity.
As the planet moves along its orbit, the distance from the sun to the planet changes, and consequently, the moment of inertia changes. However, in order to keep the angular momentum constant, the angular velocity of the planet must change in inverse proportion to the moment of inertia. This means that as a planet moves closer to the sun, it speeds up, and as it moves farther away, it slows down.
Therefore, the factor that remains constant as the line between a planet and the sun sweeps out two equal areas at different places along its orbit is the planet's angular momentum or its speed (angular velocity) as it sweeps out the areas.