2
lesson pretestMultiple Choice

Pretest

Question 2 • Physics I

Which quantities decrease as the distance between a planet and the Sun increases? Choose three correct answers.

Answer
A
gravitational force
B
tangential speed
C
area swept out in a day
D
mass
E
distance traveled in a day

Explanation

As a planet’s distance from the Sun increases, the Sun’s gravitational force on it becomes weaker. For a circular orbit, orbital speed also decreases with distance, so the planet travels a shorter distance in one day. The planet’s mass does not change, and the area swept out per day does not decrease for a circular orbit; it increases with orbital radius.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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