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A planet revolves in elliptical orbit around the sun. The linear speed of planet will be minimum

Question

A planet revolves in elliptical orbit around the sun. The linear speed of planet will be minimum

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Solution

The linear speed of a planet revolving in an elliptical orbit around the sun will be minimum when the planet is at its aphelion, which is the point in the orbit furthest from the sun.

Here's why:

  1. According to Kepler's second law, a line joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time. This means that the planet moves faster when it is closer to the sun (at perihelion) and slower when it is further from the sun (at aphelion).

  2. The reason for this is the gravitational force exerted by the sun. When the planet is closer to the sun, the gravitational force is stronger, pulling the planet faster along its orbit. When the planet is further from the sun, the gravitational force is weaker, so the planet moves more slowly.

  3. Therefore, the linear (or tangential) speed of the planet is not constant, but varies depending on the planet's distance from the sun. It is minimum at the aphelion and maximum at the perihelion.

This problem has been solved

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