Why do planets revolve around the Sun?
A) The Sun's gravity pulls the planets in orbit around it.
B) Conservation of angular momentum.
C) Conservation of energy.
D) Action of God.
Answer (2)
Planets revolve around the Sun mainly due to the Sun's gravitational pull, which keeps them in a stable orbit. This gravitational force ensures that as planets move forward, they do not fall into the Sun but instead maintain an elliptical or circular path. Therefore, the correct answer is A) The Sun's gravity pulls the planets in orbit around it.
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The correct answer is A) The Sun's gravity pulls the planets in orbit around it.
Planets revolve around the Sun primarily due to the force of gravity. Gravity is a fundamental force of nature that pulls two objects towards each other. Here’s how it works step-by-step:
Gravity and the Sun’s Mass : The Sun contains about 99.86% of the mass in our solar system. Its massive size gives it a strong gravitational pull, which affects all the planets.
Gravitational Attraction : This gravitational force pulls the planets towards the Sun. However, instead of falling into the Sun, planets are in constant motion, moving in a path that’s shaped by this gravitational pull, creating an orbit.
Inertia and Orbit : Planets tend to stay in motion due to inertia, a property defined in Newton’s First Law of Motion, which states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. This inertia is balanced by the gravitational pull of the Sun, resulting in a stable orbit.
Elliptical Orbits : The orbits are not perfect circles but ellipses, as described by Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion. This means that the distance between a planet and the Sun changes as the planet travels along its orbit.
Conservation of Angular Momentum : While not the primary reason for why planets orbit the Sun, conservation of angular momentum is important in explaining the stability and speed of the planet's rotation as they move in their orbits.
In summary, the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planets, combined with their initial motion, keeps the planets in orbit. This process is a fundamental example of how gravity governs motion within our solar system and the universe at large.
