Suppose that the Sun shrank in size but that its mass remained the same. What would happen to the orbit of the Earth?
A)Earth's orbit would be unaffected.
B)Earth's orbit would expand, and it would take more than one year to orbit the Sun.
C)Earth would change from a bound orbit to an unbound orbit and fly off into interstellar space.
D)The size of Earth's orbit would shrink, and it would take less than one year to orbit the Sun.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force between two objects depends on their masses and the distance between their centers. If the Sun's mass remains the same and only its size changes, the gravitational force it exerts on Earth (and thus Earth's orbit) would remain unaffected.

Suppose That the Sun Shrank in Size but That Its