Question 43

Comets develop tails due to the evaporation of ice and the release of dust particles when they approach the Sun.

As comets near the Sun, the intense heat causes the ice within them to sublimate, releasing gas and dust. This process creates a tail that points away from the Sun.

A) The increasing rate of debris impacts as the comet approaches the Sun

This option is incorrect because the development of a comet's tail is not primarily due to impacts with debris. While a comet may encounter debris in space, the formation of a tail is a direct result of the effects of solar radiation and heat on the comet's ice and dust.

B) The increasing velocity as the comet approaches the Sun

While a comet does increase in velocity as it gets closer to the Sun, this increase in speed does not cause the tail formation. The tail forms due to the sublimation of ice and the resulting release of gas and dust, not simply because the comet is moving faster.

C) The evaporation of ice and the release of dust particles

This option is correct. As comets approach the Sun, the heat causes the frozen gases and ice within them to evaporate, which releases gas and dust particles. This process creates a tail that always points away from the Sun due to the solar wind and radiation pressure.

D) The combustion of flammable compounds in its atmosphere

This option is incorrect because comets do not experience combustion in the way that flammable materials do. The tail is not the result of burning but rather the sublimation of ice and the release of debris, which are physical processes resulting from heat exposure.

Conclusion

The correct answer, C, clearly explains that the formation of a comet's tail is due to the evaporation of ice and the release of dust particles when close to the Sun. Other options fail to accurately describe the physical processes involved, focusing instead on unrelated phenomena like impacts, velocity, or combustion, which do not contribute to the tail's formation.