A spacecraft is moving directly toward a large planet, and a rock rests on the side of the craft nearest the planet, held only by its gravitational attraction to the craft. As the planet is approached, we will observe:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As the spacecraft approaches the planet, the gravitational force exerted by the planet on the rock will eventually exceed the gravitational attraction between the rock and the spacecraft. This will cause the rock to accelerate toward the planet, leaving the spacecraft behind. The spacecraft itself will not necessarily be destroyed or forced into an orbit by this process, making option B the correct choice.

A Spacecraft Is Moving Directly Toward a Large Planet, and a Rock