The reason that the eccentricity of the orbit is neither equal to nor greater than 1 is because

A)The speed of a planet around the sun is a constant.
B)The motion of a planet lies in a plane.
C)The planet has closed orbits.
D)The force between a planet and the sun is a constant.
E)The position of the planets is unrelated to the sun.

Question

The reason that the eccentricity of the orbit is neither equal to nor greater than 1 is because
​
A)The speed of a planet around the sun is a constant.
B)The motion of a planet lies in a plane.
C)The planet has closed orbits.
D)The force between a planet and the sun is a constant.
E)The position of the planets is unrelated to the sun.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The eccentricity of an orbit defines its shape. An eccentricity less than 1 indicates an elliptical (closed) orbit, which is the case for planets in our solar system. Eccentricities equal to or greater than 1 would indicate parabolic or hyperbolic trajectories, which are not closed orbits.

The Reason That the Eccentricity of the Orbit Is Neither