Kepler's Laws Quiz

An asteroid, headed directly toward Earth, has a speed of 12 km/s relative to the planet when the asteroid is 10 Earth radii from Earth’s center. Neglecting the effects of Earth’s atmosphere on the asteroid. What is the speed of the asteroid when it reaches Earth's surface?

• 12 km/s

• 16 km/s

• 20 km/s

• 24 km/s

Which law of Kepler states that all planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus?

• The law of orbits

• The law of areas

• The law of periods

• The law of conservation of angular momentum

What is the eccentricity of the orbit of comet Halley?

• 0.0167

• 0.74

• 0.97

• 1.0

Which law of Kepler is equivalent to the law of conservation of angular momentum?

• The law of orbits

• The law of areas

• The law of periods

• The law of conservation of energy

What is the farthest distance from the Sun for comet Halley?

• 5.79 x 10^10 m

• 10.8 x 10^10 m

• 15.0 x 10^10 m

• 8.9 x 10^10 m

What is the total energy of a satellite in an elliptical orbit?

• Gravitational potential energy only

• Kinetic energy only

• Mechanical energy

• No energy

Comet Halley orbits the Sun with a period of 76 years and, in 1986, had a distance of closest approach to the Sun, its perihelion distance Rp, of 8.9 x 10^10 m. What is the semimajor axis of the orbit of comet Halley?

• 5.79 x 10^10 m

• 10.8 x 10^10 m

• 15.0 x 10^10 m

• 2.7 x 10^12 m

What is the law of areas?

• A line joining any planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.

• All planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus.

• The square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis of its orbit.

• The law of conservation of angular momentum.

What is the kinetic energy of a satellite in a circular orbit?

• GMm/r

• -GMm/2r

• -2GMm/r

• GMm/2r

Comet Halley orbits the Sun with a period of 76 years and, in 1986, had a distance of closest approach to the Sun, its perihelion distance Rp, of 8.9 x 10^10 m. What is the aphelion distance of comet Halley?

• 8.9 x 10^10 m

• 2.7 x 10^12 m

• 5.3 x 10^12 m

• 1.6 x 10^13 m