The Roche limit is the
A) distance from the sun within which a planet can not retain an atmosphere.
B) minimum mass of an object in the solar system that would be classified as a planet.
C) maximum separation distance between the sun and a given planet.
D) distance from Earth at which we loose radio communication with a satellite.
E) distance from a planet within which a planet can not hold itself together.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Roche limit is the distance from a celestial body, such as a planet, within which tidal forces from another celestial body would cause the body to disintegrate due to the difference in gravitational forces across the body. Therefore, choice E is the correct answer. Choices A, B, C, and D do not accurately describe the concept of the Roche limit. The Roche limit is the closest distance that a celestial object (such as a moon) can approach to another object before tidal forces become so strong that the object is torn apart by the difference in gravitational pull between its near and far sides. Therefore, the correct choice is E, which refers to the distance from a planet within which a planet can not hold itself together.

The Roche Limit Is the