The Earth is instantly replaced in its orbit by a speck of dust. Which statement best describes the subsequent orbital motion of that piece of dust?
A)The dust particle will move to a larger orbit and orbit the Sun in more than 1 year.
B)The dust particle will be ejected from the Solar System.
C)The dust particle will continue in the same orbit as the Earth did, orbiting the Sun in 1 year.
D)The dust particle will move to a smaller orbit and orbit the Sun in less than 1 year.
E)The dust particle will spiral into the Sun.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum, an object in orbit will continue to move in the same orbit unless acted upon by an external force. Since the speck of dust does not experience any external force, it will continue to move in the same orbit as the Earth did, with the same orbital period of 1 year. Therefore, option C is the correct choice.

The Earth Is Instantly Replaced in Its Orbit by a Speck