Which statement best describes the difference between planets and dwarf planets?

Which statement best describes the difference between planets and dwarf planets?

• A. Dwarf planets clear their orbits and are larger.
• B. Planets clear their orbits and are generally larger.
• C. Planets orbit only comets.
• D. Dwarf planets are always larger than planets.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how we classify objects by their influence on their surroundings. Planets have cleared their orbital neighborhood, meaning their gravity dominates that region and they’ve essentially swept up or scattered other debris there. Dwarf planets, while they orbit the Sun and are often nearly round, have not cleared their surroundings and share their orbital space with other objects. So the statement that planets clear their orbits and are generally larger fits best with that distinction. The other options misstate aspects of the definitions: planets don’t orbit only comets, and dwarf planets aren’t always larger than planets.

The main idea here is how we classify objects by their influence on their surroundings. Planets have cleared their orbital neighborhood, meaning their gravity dominates that region and they’ve essentially swept up or scattered other debris there. Dwarf planets, while they orbit the Sun and are often nearly round, have not cleared their surroundings and share their orbital space with other objects. So the statement that planets clear their orbits and are generally larger fits best with that distinction. The other options misstate aspects of the definitions: planets don’t orbit only comets, and dwarf planets aren’t always larger than planets.