Eccentricity Practice

Front

What is eccentricity?

Back

Eccentricity is a measure of how much an orbit deviates from being circular. It is a dimensionless number ranging from 0 (circular) to 1 (parabolic).

Front

What are the units for eccentricity?

Back

NONE; eccentricity has NO units!

Front

Which orbit has the least eccentricity?

Back

An orbit with an eccentricity closer to 0 is the least eccentric, indicating it is more circular.

Front

What is the formula for calculating eccentricity?

Back

Eccentricity (e) = distance between foci (2c) / length of major axis (2a) = c/a.

Front

If the distance between foci is 4.0 and the length of the major axis is 12.1, what is the eccentricity?

Back

0.331

Front

At which point is the orbital velocity of a planet the greatest?

Back

The orbital velocity is greatest at the periapsis (closest point to the focus).

Front

What does an eccentricity of 1 indicate?

Back

An eccentricity of 1 indicates a parabolic trajectory, which is not a closed orbit.

Front

What does an eccentricity of 0 indicate?

Back

An eccentricity of 0 indicates a perfect circular orbit.

Front

How does eccentricity affect the shape of an orbit?

Back

Higher eccentricity values result in more elongated orbits, while lower values result in more circular orbits.

Front

What is the range of eccentricity for elliptical orbits?

Back

The range of eccentricity for elliptical orbits is between 0 and 1.