Question

As an asteroid approaches Earth, it accelerates though the masses of the Earth and the asteroid remain the same. What is the explanation?

1. the gravitational force decreases as the asteroid gets closer to the earth.

2. the asteroids path is not affected by the earth's gravitation.

3.the asteroid is accelerated by the sun's gravitational force.

4. the gravitational force increases as the asteroid gets closer to the earth.​

Answer 1

4.

Step-by-step explanation:

the paths and velocities of Earth and the asteroid would bring them closer and closer anyway, so their distance decreases, and so the gravity effect gets stronger and stronger.

what that answer ignores: also a steady pull (or push) by a force leads to acceleration.

in this case the force itself gets in addition even stronger and stronger due to the decreasing distance.