Elaborate Gravity's Playground Lesson

What can scientists assume about the gravitational pull on a small planet located a great distance from the Sun?

• The pull will be weak.

• More information is needed to answer the question.

• The pull will be the same as on Earth.

• The pull will be strong.

What competes to keep celestial bodies in orbit?

• The force of gravity and mass

• The force of gravity and forward motion

• The force of Newton's law of force and momentum

• The force of gravity and distance

Planets A, B, C, and D have the same mass in the same solar system. They are listed in order of closest to furthest from the Sun. Which will experience the gravitational pull of the Sun the strongest?

• Planet C

• Planet A

• Planet D

• Planet B

What would happen if the Sun's gravity suddenly stopped?

• The celestial objects with masses less than the planets would being orbiting the Sun instead.

• The planets would no longer follow circular orbital paths, but would follow elliptical orbital paths.

• The planets would crash into the Sun.

• The planets would move away in a straight line away from the Sun.

Which answer choice best describes the orbit of the planets around the Sun?

• They orbit in a straight line.

• They orbit in a nearly circular path.

• They orbit with the same amount of forward motion.

• They orbit in reverse every million years.