Kepler's Laws Review

Front

What is Kepler's 1st Law?

Back

All planets move in elliptical shaped orbits around the sun.

Front

During which month is the Earth moving the fastest around the sun?

Back

January

Front

What is eccentricity in the context of orbits?

Back

A measurement of how elliptical an orbit is.

Front

Back

12.65 AU

Front

What does Kepler's 2nd Law state?

Back

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

Front

What does Kepler's 3rd Law state?

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 semi-major axis?

Back

The longest radius of an ellipse, half the length of the major axis.

Front

What is the significance of the foci in an ellipse?

Back

The sum of the distances from any point on the ellipse to the two foci is constant.

Front

What is the formula for calculating the orbital period of a planet?

Back

Front

What is an elliptical orbit?

Back

An orbit that is shaped like an elongated circle, defined by two foci.