As observed from the earth, the sun appears to move an approx. circular orbit. For the motion of another planet like mercury as observed from the earth, this would

Options

A. be similarly true
B. not be true because the force between earth and mercury is note inverse square law
C. not be true because the major gravitational force on mercury is due to sun
D. not be true because mercury is influenced by forces other than gravitational forces.

Explanation

To solve the question about the apparent motion of the Sun and Mercury as observed from Earth, we can break it down into several steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Motion of the Sun**:
- From the perspective of an observer on Earth, the Sun appears to move in a circular path across the sky. This is due to the Earth's rotation and its orbit around the Sun.

2. **Considering the Motion of Mercury**:
- When we observe Mercury from Earth, we need to consider the gravitational influences acting on Mercury. The primary gravitational force acting on Mercury is from the Sun, as it is the most massive body in the solar system.

3. **Gravitational Forces**:
- The gravitational force between two bodies follows the inverse square law, meaning that the force is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This applies to the forces between the Earth and Mercury, as well as between the Sun and Mercury.

4. **Dominance of the Sun's Gravitational Force**:
- The Sun's mass is significantly larger than that of Mercury or Earth. Therefore, the gravitational force exerted by the Sun on Mercury is much greater than the gravitational force exerted by Earth on Mercury.

5. **Resulting Motion of Mercury**:
- Due to the dominance of the Sun's gravitational force, Mercury's motion is primarily influenced by the Sun. As a result, when viewed from Earth, Mercury does not appear to move in a simple circular orbit. Instead, its path is more complex due to the combined gravitational influences of both the Sun and Earth.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, it is not true that Mercury appears to move in a circular orbit as observed from Earth. The major gravitational force on Mercury is due to the Sun, and this results in a more complicated motion than a simple circular path.

### Final Answer:
The statement that Mercury appears to move in a circular orbit as observed from Earth is **not true** because the major gravitational force on Mercury is due to the Sun.

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