Science test on Kepler's Laws

Explain the shape of orbit's according to eccentricity values (i.e 0-1).

0 is a perfect circle and 1 is a line.

Gravity

A force of attraction that exists between two masses, two bodies, and any two particles.

Eccentricity

A measure of how an orbit deviates from circular.

Orbit

A regular repeating path that one object in space takes around another one.

Comet A has an orbital eccentricity of 0.70, while Comet B has an orbital eccentricity of 0.90. Compare these two ellipses and what you know about the comets' orbits.

Comet A has a more circular orbital than comet B.

Describe what happens to Earth's orbital speed when it gets closer to the Sun.

Earths orbital speed gets faster when it gets closer to the Sun.

Explain Kepler's First Law

Kepler's first law states that every planet moves around in an ellipse.

Explain Kepler's Second Law

Kepler's second law states that the speed at which any given planet will move while orbiting the Sun.

Explain Kepler's Third law

Kepler's third law states that the squares of the orbital periods of the planets are directly proportional to the cubes of the semi major axes of their orbits.

According to Kepler's 3rd Law of satellite orbital period, what information do the engineers need to calculate the radius of orbit? (What do M, G and T stand for?)

M= Mass of star, G= The gravitational force, and T= Time

Define and compare perihelion and aphelion

Perihelion is the point of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the Sun. Aphelion is the point of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is furthest from the sun. They are alike with the points but are different with their distance from the sun.

Solar system

The collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun.

​If a planet is 36 Astronomical Units from the sun, what is its period of revolution, according to Kepler's 3rd Law of Harmonies?

The period of revolution is 216 years.

According to Kepler's third law, what is the ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets equal to?

The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets equal to is the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the Sun.

What is the role of gravity in our solar system?

The role of gravity in our solar system is it holds the planets in orbit around the sun and it keeps the moon in orbit around Earth.

What are the shapes of the orbits of the planets according to Kepler's first law?

The shapes of the orbits of the planets are an ellipse.

What is the term for the time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun?

The term for the time that it takes for a planet to orbit the sun is one revolution.

The Moon's orbit is elliptical. Any ellipse has two centers, which are called foci. For the Moon's orbit, what must exist at one of the two foci?

The things that must exist at one of the two foci is the center of earth and a spot in space.

Kepler's Laws

Three theorems describing orbital motion.

What causes a comet or planet to move faster when closer to the sun and slower when further from the sun?

When a comet or planet is closer to the sun it is faster because the Sun has a stronger gravitational pull on it, when it is further from the sun, the weaker the suns gravitational pull is.