Question

What is the difference between a comet's dust tail and a comet's gas tail?

O A dust tail points in the direction of motion, a gas tail always points toward the Sun
O A dust tail is pushed by the the solar wind, a gas tail is pushed by pressure of sunlight.
O A dust tail is pushed by the pressure of sunlight, a gas tail is pushed by the solar wind.
O A dust tail points in the direction of motion, a gas tail always points away from the Sun.

Answer 1

A comet's dust tail is curved and influenced by the pressure of sunlight on dust particles, while the gas tail, consisting of ionized gases, is shaped and directed by the solar wind and always points directly away from the Sun. Option A is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The difference between a comet's dust tail and a comet's gas tail relates to how each component interacts with the space environment near the Sun. A comet's dust tail, which consists of particles that are similar in size to smoke particles, is pushed away from the Sun by the pressure of sunlight.

This photonic force disperses the dust into a tail that curves slightly with the comet's orbit due to the momentum transfer from photons. In contrast, the gas tail consists primarily of ionized gases that are electromagnetically influenced by the solar wind—a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun. This interaction aligns the gas tail directly away from the Sun, pointing in a straight line due to the forces exerted by the solar wind on the ions.

To answer the multiple-choice question, the correct answer is: A dust tail is pushed by the pressure of sunlight, a gas tail is pushed by the solar wind.