Question

at which point does the planet have the least gravitational force acting on it?
a. point c
b. point b
c. point d

Explanation:

Step1: Recall gravitational - force formula

The gravitational force $F = G\frac{Mm}{r^{2}}$, where $G$ is the gravitational constant, $M$ and $m$ are the masses of the two objects (the star and the planet in this case), and $r$ is the distance between them.

Step2: Analyze distance from the star

The smaller the value of $r$, the larger the gravitational force. The larger the value of $r$, the smaller the gravitational force. We need to find the point where the planet is farthest from the star.

Step3: Identify the farthest point

From the diagram, point A is the farthest from the star. But since it's not in the options, among the given options, point D is the farthest from the star.

Answer:

C. Point D