A comet passes by a planet with a speed vo such that the comet travels in a straight line at the instant shown in the figure. The comet’s tangential acceleration, centripetal acceleration, and force due to gravity from the planet at this location are provided in the table. Astronomers observe that the comet continues to travel in a nearly straight line, even though calculations show that the gravitational force exerted by the planet should cause the comet to move in a circular orbit. Why does the comet not travel in a circular path around the planet after the instant shown in the figure?
Responses
The comet is too far away to travel in a circular path around the planet.
The planet’s gravitational force is not strong enough to cause the comet to have a centripetal acceleration.
The comet’s inertia is so great that the direction of the comet cannot be changed by the gravitational force exerted by the planet.
There must be another object such that the gravitational forces exerted on the comet are balanced at this location.
