Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion Flashcard

Front

What is Kepler's 1st Law of Planetary Motion?

Back

Kepler's 1st Law states that planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one of the foci.

Front

Which planet has the shortest orbital period around the Sun?

Back

Mercury has the shortest orbital period, taking about 88 Earth days to complete one revolution.

Front

What is eccentricity in the context of planetary orbits?

Back

Eccentricity measures the deviation of an orbit from being circular; a circle has an eccentricity of 0.

Front

What does Kepler's 2nd Law state about planetary motion?

Back

Kepler's 2nd Law states that a line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

Front

What is the significance of the foci in an elliptical orbit?

Back

The foci are the two fixed points in an ellipse; one focus is occupied by the Sun in planetary orbits.

Front

How does the gravitational force affect a comet's speed as it approaches the Sun?

Back

As a comet approaches the Sun, the gravitational force increases, causing the comet to speed up.

Front

What is the shape of a planet's orbit according to Kepler's 1st Law?

Back

The shape of a planet's orbit is elliptical.

Front

What happens to a planet's speed as it moves closer to the Sun?

Back

A planet moves faster when it is closer to the Sun due to increased gravitational pull.

Front

What is the formula for calculating the eccentricity of an ellipse?

Back

Eccentricity (e) = distance between foci / length of the major axis.

Front

What is Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion?

Back

Kepler's 3rd Law states that the square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.