Question

There have been suggestions that the value of the gravitational constant G becomes smaller when considered over very large time period (in billions of years) in the future. If that happens, for our earth ______.

1. nothing will change.
2. we will become hotter after billions of years.
3. we will be going around but not strictly in closed orbits.
4. after sufficiently long time we will leave the solar system.

Answer 1

c and d

Explanation:

We know the gravitational force between the earth and the sun.

`F_G = (GMm)/r^2`, where M is mass of the sun and m is the mass of the earth.

When G decreases with time. the gravitational force F_G will become weaker with time. As is changing with time. Due to it, the earth will be going around the sun not strictly in a closed orbit and the radius also increases, since the attraction force is getting weaker.

Hence, after a long time, the earth will leave the solar system.