Question

Which quantities decrease as the distance between a planet and the Sun increases? Check all that apply.

tangential speed
mass
gravitational force
area swept out in a day
distance traveled in a day

Answer 1

Answer

Gravitational force

Explanation

Gravitational force is the force of attraction between two bodies of a given masses. It is calculated as follows:

Gravitational force = GM₁M₂/r²

From the formula it can be seen that gravitational force is inversely proportional to the r where are is the distance between the two bodies.

When the distance increases the gravitational force decreases.

Answer 2

Here’s a picture of the correct answers.