Question

question 5 of 20 :
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1. when does an object break up due to gravity and tidal forces as it approaches a planet?

a. when it passes the roche limit
b. when it becomes tidally locked to the planet
c. when it moves past the planet very quickly
d. when its density is very high
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Explanation:

To determine when an object breaks up due to gravity and tidal forces as it approaches a planet, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The Roche limit is the distance within which a celestial body, held together only by its own gravity, will disintegrate due to a planet's tidal forces exceeding the body's gravitational self - attraction. This matches the description of an object breaking up due to gravity and tidal forces.
• Option B: Tidal locking is when an object's rotational period matches its orbital period around a planet, and it has nothing to do with the object breaking up.
• Option C: Moving past a planet quickly does not cause the object to break up due to gravity and tidal forces. The speed of passage is not the factor for break - up due to these forces.
• Option D: A high density of the object would make it more resistant to breaking up due to tidal forces, not cause it to break up.

Answer:

A. When it passes the Roche limit