What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?

What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?

• A. Magnetic force
• B. Electromagnetic force
• C. Gravitational force
• D. Centrifugal force

Answer: (C)

The force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun is the gravitational force. This fundamental interaction is the attractive force between objects with mass. In the context of the solar system, the Sun's massive gravitational pull exerts a force on the planets, keeping them in elliptical orbits. As a planet moves, its velocity provides a tendency to travel in a straight line due to inertia. However, the gravitational force continually pulls the planet toward the Sun, resulting in a stable orbit rather than a collision with the Sun. This balance between the planet's forward motion and the gravitational pull creates the elliptical paths described by Kepler's laws of planetary motion. In contrast, other options like magnetic force and electromagnetic force are not the primary influencers of planetary motion, as they pertain to charged particles and magnetism rather than mass. Centrifugal force is often used as a conceptual tool to explain the balance of forces in circular motion, but it is not a real force acting on the planets; rather, it is the result of inertia in a rotating frame. Thus, gravitational force is the key mechanism that governs the orbits of planets around the Sun.

The force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun is the gravitational force. This fundamental interaction is the attractive force between objects with mass. In the context of the solar system, the Sun's massive gravitational pull exerts a force on the planets, keeping them in elliptical orbits.

As a planet moves, its velocity provides a tendency to travel in a straight line due to inertia. However, the gravitational force continually pulls the planet toward the Sun, resulting in a stable orbit rather than a collision with the Sun. This balance between the planet's forward motion and the gravitational pull creates the elliptical paths described by Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

In contrast, other options like magnetic force and electromagnetic force are not the primary influencers of planetary motion, as they pertain to charged particles and magnetism rather than mass. Centrifugal force is often used as a conceptual tool to explain the balance of forces in circular motion, but it is not a real force acting on the planets; rather, it is the result of inertia in a rotating frame. Thus, gravitational force is the key mechanism that governs the orbits of planets around the Sun.