which word describes how the planets are held in earth solar system together a tidal force, gravity, an atomic force, or friction

Gravity

The word that describes how the planets are held together in the Earth's solar system is gravity. Gravity is the force of attraction between objects with mass. It is the gravitational pull of the Sun that keeps the planets in orbit around it.

The word that describes how the planets are held together in the Earth's solar system is gravity.

Gravity is a fundamental force of nature that attracts objects with mass towards each other. In the context of the solar system, it is the force that keeps all the celestial bodies, including the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, in their respective orbits around the Sun.

To understand why gravity is responsible for holding the planets in their orbits, you can consider Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation. According to this law, every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

In the case of the planets, the Sun's massive gravitational pull keeps them in their orbits. The force of gravity between the Sun and each planet acts as a centripetal force, continuously pulling the planets towards the Sun while simultaneously ensuring they move in a circular or elliptical path around it.

In summary, gravity is the force responsible for keeping the planets in the Earth's solar system together. It acts as a centripetal force, keeping the planets in their orbits around the Sun.