What does Kepler's second law imply about planetary motion?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the implications of Kepler's second law regarding the motion of planets. Kepler's second law, also known as the law of areas, describes how planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun and the relationship between their distance from the sun and their orbital speed.
Answer
Planets do not move with constant speed along their orbits.
The final answer is planets do not move with constant speed along their orbits.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is planets do not move with constant speed along their orbits.
More Information
Kepler's second law, also known as the Law of Equal Areas, implies that a planet speeds up as it approaches the sun and slows down as it recedes.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume that planets move at a constant speed, but their speed varies depending on their distance from the sun.
Sources
- Orbits and Kepler’s Laws - NASA - science.nasa.gov
- Kepler's Second Law - K-State - k-state.edu
- Kepler's second law of planetary motion - Britannica - britannica.com
