Orbital speed is the speed with which a planet moves around the Sun. This speed isdetermined by:
A)the mass of the planet only.
B)the mass of the Sun only.
C)both the mass of the planet and the mass of the Sun.
D)the mass of the planet and its distance from the Sun.
E)the mass of both the planet and the Sun and the distance between the two.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Orbital speed is determined by the gravitational pull between the two bodies (in this case, the planet and the Sun) and the distance between them. The gravitational force, and thus the orbital speed, depends on both masses (the planet's and the Sun's) and the distance between them, according to Newton's law of universal gravitation.

Orbital Speed Is the Speed with Which a Planet Moves