Test - Kepler's Laws

Front

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

Back

The orbit of a planet around the Sun is an ellipse, with the Sun at one of the two foci.

Front

What is Kepler's 2nd Law of Planetary Motion?

Back

A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

Front

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

Back

The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.

Front

Define gravitational force.

Back

The attractive force between two masses, which depends on their masses and the distance between them.

Front

How does mass affect gravitational force?

Back

Gravitational force increases with greater mass and decreases with greater distance.

Front

What is the shape of the orbits of most comets?

Back

Long narrow ellipses.

Front

What is the significance of the semi-major axis in an elliptical orbit?

Back

It is half the longest diameter of the ellipse and determines the size of the orbit.

Front

How does the distance from the Sun affect a planet's orbital period?

Back

Planets further from the Sun take longer to complete one orbit compared to those closer to the Sun.

Front

What is the relationship between a planet's speed and its distance from the Sun according to Kepler's 2nd Law?

Back

A planet moves faster when it is closer to the Sun and slower when it is farther away.

Front

What is an example of a celestial body that follows an elliptical orbit?

Back

Planets, comets, and some asteroids.