Which statement describes the motion of Earth around the sun?

The motion of Earth around the sun follows Kepler's laws of planetary motion, particularly the second law, which states that a line segment joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time. This means that as Earth moves in its elliptical orbit, it travels faster when it is closer to the sun and slower when it is farther away.

Specifically, when Earth is near perihelion, the point of its orbit closest to the sun, gravitational forces are stronger, and this increased gravitational pull causes Earth to accelerate and travel at a higher speed. Conversely, when Earth is at aphelion, its orbit takes it farther from the sun, reducing the gravitational influence and resulting in a slower orbital speed.

This dynamic is a consequence of the conservation of angular momentum and the varying distance from the sun throughout the year. Therefore, the correct statement accurately reflects that speed increases as Earth gets closer to the sun, illustrating the relationship between solar distance and orbital speed.