Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

If the force of gravity suddenly stopped acting on the planets, they would….

  1. Fly straight away from the Sun

  2. Continue to orbit the Sun

  3. Spiral slowly towards the Sun

  4. Move in a straight line tangent to their orbit
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Planets orbit the Sun due to gravity providing the centripetal force. If gravity disappeared, Newton's First Law states they would continue moving in a straight line (tangent to their orbit at that instant) with whatever velocity they had.

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