4-4 Kepler's Laws of Motion

Front

What is Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion?

Back

Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus.

Front

What does Kepler's Second Law state?

Back

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

Front

What is Kepler's Third 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

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

Back

It is the longest radius of the ellipse, determining the size of the orbit.

Front

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

Back

The farther a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to complete one orbit.

Front

What is the relationship between a planet's speed and its distance from the Sun?

Back

Planets move faster when they are closer to the Sun and slower when they are farther away.

Front

Define gravitational force in the context of planetary motion.

Back

It is the attractive force between two masses, which governs the motion of planets in their orbits.

Front

What is the formula for gravitational force?

Back

F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2, where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses, and r is the distance between their centers.

Front

What does the term 'orbital velocity' refer to?

Back

It is the speed at which a planet travels along its orbit around the Sun.

Front

Explain the concept of 'aphelion' and 'perihelion'.

Back

Aphelion is the point in a planet's orbit farthest from the Sun, while perihelion is the point closest to the Sun.