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 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:
- The greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity.
Based on Kepler's observations and his laws of planetary motion, the correct answer to this question is: "The greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity."
To understand why this is the case, let's take a look at Kepler's laws. Kepler's 2nd Law, also known as the Law of Equal Areas, states that a line connecting a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals. This means that a planet travels faster when it is closer to the sun and slower when it is farther away.
Now, let's consider a planet's orbital velocity. Orbital velocity is the speed at which a planet moves around the sun in its orbit. Since the planet needs to cover an equal area in equal time intervals, when it is closer to the sun, it must move at a faster speed to cover the same area compared to when it is farther away.
To put it simply, the planet needs to travel a longer distance in the same amount of time when it is farther away from the sun. Therefore, the greater the distance from the sun, the slower the orbital velocity of the planet.
So, based on Kepler's observations and his 2nd Law of Planetary Motion, we can conclude that the greater the distance, the slower the orbital velocity of a planet.