Question

The Earth’s orbit around the sun is elliptical. What does this word mean?

A.
The orbit is very slow.
B.
The orbit is perfectly circular.
C.
The orbit takes one year.
D.
The orbit is oval-shaped.

Answer 1

This word means that the orbit is oval-shaped, not a perfect circle, but more of an elongated circle.

The Earth’s orbit around the sun is elliptical. An elliptical orbit is a type of orbit where the shape of the orbit is an ellipse, not a perfect circle. An ellipse has two focal points, and the distance between those two points determines the shape of the ellipse. In the case of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the Sun is located at one of the focal points of the ellipse, and the Earth moves around the Sun in this oval-shaped orbit.

Therefore, The correct option is D