Lesson 6.2 Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion

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Questions and Answers

What is the shape of an ellipse?

  • Square
  • Oval-ish (correct)
  • Circular
  • Rectangular

What are foci in relation to an ellipse?

Fixed points from which distances to any point of the curve are connected by a linear relation.

What does Kepler's First Law state?

Orbits are elliptical with the Sun at one focus.

What does Kepler's Second Law explain about the movement of planets?

<p>An imaginary line from the Sun to a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is stated in Kepler's Third Law?

<p>The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the Sun.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does 'period' refer to in the context of planetary motion?

<p>A length of time (years - time to orbit the Sun).</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Ellipse and Foci

  • An ellipse is an oval-shaped curve defined by two fixed points known as foci.
  • When the foci of an ellipse are coincident, the shape becomes a perfect circle.

Kepler's First Law

  • Orbits of planets are elliptical rather than circular.
  • The Sun is located at one of the foci of these elliptical orbits.

Kepler's Second Law

  • An imaginary line from the Sun to a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals, indicating varying orbital speeds.
  • Planets move faster when they are closer to the Sun and slower when further away, due to gravitational influences.

Kepler's Third Law

  • The relationship between the orbital periods of two planets and their distances from the Sun can be expressed as: the ratio of the squares of their periods equals the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the Sun.
  • This law provides a mathematical relation allowing for calculations of planetary distances and orbital times.

Period

  • The term "period" refers to the length of time, measured in years, that a planet takes to complete one orbit around the Sun.

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