Which solar system object comparison illustrates why mass concentrated near the center predicts a speed decline with distance?
Answer
Mercury orbits faster than Neptune because the Sun’s mass is concentrated centrally.
The expected Keplerian decline in orbital velocity is analogously demonstrated within our own solar system. The vast majority of the system's mass resides in the Sun, located at the center. Consequently, planets orbiting close to the Sun, such as Mercury, travel at much higher velocities than those orbiting far away, such as Neptune. This principle means that if a galaxy contained mass only in its central visible bulge, the outermost stars should move significantly slower than the inner stars, mirroring the orbital speeds dictated by the central solar mass.
Related Questions
What is the expected relationship for orbital velocity (v) versus radius (r) in a spiral galaxy containing only visible matter?How do the observed rotational velocities of stars and gas behave in the outskirts of spiral galaxies compared to predictions?What mass distribution M(r) is mathematically required for the orbital speed v to remain constant (v \approx constant)?In the Milky Way example, what does the mass discrepancy at 50 kpc imply about the unseen component?What mechanism does Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) propose to explain flat rotation curves?What puzzle do the orbital velocities of stars and gas in spiral galaxies present to modern astrophysics?Over what enormous scale have observations confirmed the flatness of the rotation curve persists?Which solar system object comparison illustrates why mass concentrated near the center predicts a speed decline with distance?What specific function does the inferred Dark Matter halo serve regarding outlying stars in spiral galaxies?What required consistency check must both Dark Matter and modified gravity models pass regarding galaxy properties?