Select the correct words to fill in the blanks to this sentence: As a planet draws away from the sun in its orbit, the gravity pull from the sun pulls _________on the planet and the planet's speed _________. *
1 point
forwards, decreases
backwards, decreases
backwards, increases
forwards, increases
backwards, decreases
To answer this question, we need to understand the relationship between the motion of a planet and the gravitational pull of the sun. As a planet moves away from the sun in its orbit, the gravity pull from the sun acts as a force that influences the planet's motion.
The force of gravity always acts towards the center of the sun. Therefore, as the planet moves away from the sun, the gravitational force acts in the opposite direction, which is backwards. Thus, we can eliminate the options that suggest "forwards".
Now, let's consider the effect of this gravitational force on the planet's speed. According to Newton's laws of motion, an object experiences an acceleration when acted upon by a net force. In this case, the gravitational force from the sun is the net force acting on the planet, causing it to accelerate.
As the planet moves away from the sun, the gravitational force decreases in magnitude. According to the equation F = ma, if the force acting on an object is reduced, the acceleration (and thus the planet's speed) will decrease. Therefore, the correct answer is "backwards, decreases."
In summary, the correct words to fill in the blanks are "backwards" and "decreases".