The gravitational force between the Sun and the planets
Explanation:
According to Newton's first law (law of inertia), when the net external force acting on an object is zero, then the object continues moving in a straigth line at constant speed (or it remains at rest, if it was at rest).
If we apply this law to the planets in the solar system, we can say that if there is no force acting on them, the planets will continue moving in a straight line.
However, this does not occur because there is one force acting on the planets: the gravitational force exerted by the Sun on the planets. This force acts towards the Sun itself. So, the motion of the planets is actually a combination of two effects:
- Their motion in a straight line, due to inertia
- The gravitational force that makes the planets "turning" around the Sun
In this case we say that the gravitational force acts as centripetal force, by keeping the planet in a circular motion around the Sun.
Learn more about circular motion:
brainly.com/question/2562955
brainly.com/question/6372960
#LearnwithBrainly
